Perception, reality and intent in bihorean tourism, Romania

Anotace: Tourism is one of the branches of the economy with a high growth rate, globally, having beneficial effects of a social, economic and ecological nature in the insertion environment, being at the same time a serious alternative in the development of local communities. In this context, the purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions and intentions of local public authorities regarding tourism, in parallel with quantifying the defining reality for tourism in Bihor County, Romania. The necessary information was obtained after consulting the representatives of 100 territorial administrative units, using a thematic questionnaire, consisting of 14 items. The results obtained aimed at identifying and quantifying the perceptions and intentions of the decision-makers of the territorial administrative units regarding tourism, against the background of the tourist situation, starting from the factual reality on the ground. Thus, following the quantification of the indicators studied, at the level of the Bihor Tourist Destination, the touristic perception (with a value of 75%, good) stood out, followed by the touristic intention (with a value of 44%, poor) and the touristic reality (with a value of 30.66%, weak). The results obtained at the level of UATs highlighted the existence of some major differences regarding the existing situation at the level of the Bihor Tourist Destination. In conclusion, this study can be a framework support for establishing strategic directions for the development of the tourist destination Bihor.