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Abstract: Tourism is considered to be an important branch of the Romanian economy. However, its contribution to the GDP is extremely low. Inbound tourism is reduced, the sole indicator which is constantly increasing being the number of Romanian tourists who travel abroad. We assume that a good way of increasing domestic tourism in Romania would be to get the young population practice various forms of tourism. Conducting a market survey in consumer behavior towards tourism products among pupils and students in Bucharest could offer us useful information which could give birth to a higher interest in educating young people for practicing tourism. This represents an investment which is able to produce multiplier effects in time, at both individual and social-economic levels.
Keywords:
Tourism, consumer behaviour, educating young people
JEL Codes:
M11, M19, M21
1. Introduction
Tourism is an economic field which has multiple effects for the national economy, and which actively contributes to developping and modelling cultural and social components. The development of tourism destinations in Romania has an impact on the general economic growth, at both regional and local levels. As far as the individual is concerned, tourism helps the individual spend his/her time in a pleasant and useful manner, get more knowledge about the world and acquire positive experiences.
According to national statistics, the number of resident tourists who travel in Romania is fairly low, and information about the young population is missing. In the present study we aim at conducting a market survey about consumer behaviour towards tourism among the young population, taking into account the youth from universities and high-schools in Bucharest.
For the future adult it is crucial to practise the tourism ever since his/her childhood, when they practise it together with his/her parents and educators. School plays a very important part, both in education and in the increase of interest in knowing the world, in travelling and in building social relationships.
2. The part played by tourism in the development of young people
We live in a modern world which is continuously evolving, in which mobility, due to the informational and communication advances, puts time and space in a different perspective. It is well-known that the current promotion system regarding pupils, from a certain school level to...