Diagnostic analysis of ecotourism potential of Caras-Severin county

Abstract

Sustainable tourism development is not just a concept discussed, supplemented or restated in the conferences held on this subject. Need to protect natural and cultural riches which is the common heritage of humanity and to meet the needs of tourists and local people led to the emergence in practice some form of sustainable tourism. Objectives, principles, sustainable tourism development requirements can be found in forms of tourism such as ecotourism, rural tourism or cultural tourism. These forms are an expression of desire for tourism to represent not only a positive factor and dynamic development and a practical solution for keeping unaltered the environment. Caras-Severin position in a natural setting, in a mainly mountainous area with a rich and varied forest and wildlife, with a representative hydrographic network, with great cultural-historical values encourage tourism development in various forms, these elements representing tourist destinations with a high degree of attractiveness. Tourism values are given by a natural setting rich and varied with many types of terrain, climate elements that are under the influences of ocean and southern, a representative of the hydrographic network, a rich and varied forest and wildlife, all representing tourist destinations with a high degree of attractiveness. Because of the exceptional features of the landscape and species diversity in the county were established more than 50 protected areas. Protected areas account for approximately 14.6% of the county, so almost three times more than the rest of the country. From total, three of the protected areas have the status of national park and a natural park.