A Study on Foreigner's Perception of Romania as a Tourist Destination

STUDY ON FOREIGNERS’
PERCEPTION ON ROMANIA’S
IMAGE AS TOURISM DESTINATION
Ruxandra-Irina POPESCU
Alina-Georgiana PROFIROIU

Abstract
Romania’s image worldwide is a major priority for our public authorities. The aim of this study is to identify foreigners’ perception on Romania’s image as tourism destination departing from three research hypothesis: foreigners’ perception on
Romania’s image as a result of Romanians behavior inside and outside the country’s borders, foreign visitors’ perception on tourism services and level of knowledge of Romania’s tourism brand across the borders. The research gathered the opinions of 1.150 foreigners from 10 countries using a questionnaire that integrated variables corresponding to the research questions.
The survey was carried out in 11 representative places for foreign tourists’ visits, as well as on the internet, using the Wayn.com website, which allowed the selection of foreign citizens that have visited Romania at least once. The research is relevant not only from the perspective of its direct results regarding foreigners’ perception on
Romania’s tourism brand, but might as well be seen as an instrument for analyzing the preliminary results of the campaign ‘Romania, explore the Carpathian garden’, that started in 2010 and is still in progress.
Keywords: country brand, national image, tourism, strategic development, survey.

Ruxandra-Irina POPESCU
Associate Professor, Faculty of Administration and Public
Management,
Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
Tel.: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Alina-Georgiana PROFIROIU
Associate Professor, Faculty of Administration and Public
Management,
Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
Tel.: [phone]
E-mail: alina_profi[e-mail]

Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences,
No. 39 E/2013, pp. 147-159

147

1. Introduction
A country’s brand image can shape its economic, political and

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