The focus on sustainability represents the key to the tourism industry today. Green marketing was constantly on the agenda of local authorities and started to be a subject of interest for Academia too, but it was very little approached in the Eastern European countries, especially in the tourism studies. This article describes the presence of green marketing in Romanian ecotourism and its impact on tourist’s perception. Due to its natural landscapes and tourist attractions, Romanian ecotourism can take advantage of green marketing practices and promote tourism products based on the new preference of the tourists for sustainable activities. However, there is a lack of legislative framework regarding green labeling that can effect in the long term the destination brand. The main objective of the present article is to give an overview image of the online presence of the Romanian ecotourist accommodation units that applied for the Eco-label provided by the ECO-Romania Association. The study describes how these establishments use green marketing practices and if their guests perceive the green image too. The methodology of the study consists of a qualitative analysis of the primary data obtained by the authors from the websites of ECO Romania Association, TripAdvisor platform and accommodation units. The results show a high interest of the accommodation units from the ecotourism field for green marketing practices which is also perceived by tourists. The tendency of tourism stakeholders to apply for an accreditation system provided by non-governmental organization instead of choosing a European accreditation shows the impact of such a national initiative and emphasizes the need to develop a legal framework for green ecotourism practices.

The present paper consists of a co-word analysis of the previous research in the medical spa field published in the Web Science Core Collection database. The study’s main purpose is to identify the past trends in the medical spa field from the tourist and medical perspectives and to anticipate the future research focuses in the field. In this regard, the article is based on four objectives that create a descriptive picture of the research in the medical spa area, such as (i) studying the current state of the art, (ii) analysing the most visible articles in the field, (iii) highlighting the leading research interests in medical spa research and (iv) anticipating new possible research trends that link cost-effective medical spa activity to COVID-19 post-recovery treatments. A total of 627 articles, published between 1997 and 2021 (March), were analysed, and the data were interpreted using the VOS Viewer software. The study results indicate that high interest in medical spas started to become observable in 2015, when the funding bodies became interested in this field and began supporting publishing and research regarding medical spas. The main subjects investigated in previous studies were related to the specific issues of the industry and tourism activity. They also considered the medical approach of the spa and the use of natural resources in treating different diseases. Except for these main interests, since 2020, it has started to become evident that another approach in the published studies may lead to a new trend in research. The study results show that researchers have begun to investigate the possibility of using medical spa resorts to aid post-COVID-19 recovery, which is considered a cost-efficient option for completing traditional treatment. This new focus in research proves that the medical spa field can rebrand itself as playing a supportive role in national healthcare systems in countries with a long tradition in balneotherapy, and gives a new developing trajectory to the medical spa industry.

The transition to sustainable food systems is one of the main challenges facing national and international action plans. It is estimated that food services and lodging accommodation activities are under pressure in terms of resource consumption and waste generation, and several tools are required to monitor their ecological transition. The present research adopts a semi-systematic and critical review of the current trends in the food service and lodging accommodation industries on a global scale and investigates the real current environmental indicators adopted internationally that can help to assess ecological transition. This research tries to answer the subsequent questions: (i) how has the ecological transition in the food service industry been monitored? and (ii) how has the ecological transition in the lodging accommodation industry been monitored? Our study reviews 66 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings included in Web of Science between 2015 and 2021. The results were analyzed according to content analysis and co-word analysis. Additionally, we provide a multidimensional measurement dashboard of empirical and theoretical indicators and distinguish between air, water, energy, waste, health, and economic scopes. In light of the co-word analysis, five research clusters were identified in the literature: “food cluster”, “water cluster”, “consumers cluster”, “corporate cluster”, and “energy cluster”. Overall, it emerges that food, water, and energy are the most impacted natural resources in tourism, and users and managers are the stakeholders who must be involved in active monitoring.

The present article includes descriptive research about how water resources in Romanian medical spas could be better promoted to increase their visibility. Romania is one of the European countries with impressive potential in terms of balneology, having a wide diversity of natural factors that allow treating several medical conditions in the same resort. In addition, one-third of the mineral and thermal water springs in Europe are present on the Romanian territory, making Romania one of the most important European destinations in terms of natural spa resources. The present research aims to illustrate how the Romanian medical spas communicate with tourists about the therapeutic water available in five medical spas: Băile Felix-1 Mai, Techirghiol, Băile Tușnad, Sovata and Covasna, having as its main objective to raise the awareness among the spas representatives regarding the necessity of water management implementation. The research is based on primary data obtained from the official websites of the resorts included in the study and in the published scholarly articles that approached the Romanian medical spas.

The present paper examines the evolution of Romanian seaside tourism between 2008–2018 to find the connection between climate change and the number of total tourist arrivals. The vicious cycle of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change has become one of the most critical topics discussed due to its negative effect on the wellbeing of the planet and its impact on sustainable economic development in the long run. Various economic activities, including tourism, could be subject to dramatic changes due to global warming. Depending on the geographical location of tourist destinations, and the degree of fluctuation in climate indicators, there have been dramatic shifts in visitor flow. This situation has been aggravated as countries that were once famous for their summer season and seaside holidays are now affected by high temperatures. Such temperatures can hardly be tolerated by tourists, particularly those from the Nordic countries. By comparison, there are countries that have been known to have only two or three full summer months suitable for tourism at the seaside and which in the last years have had a more extended summer season. This situation could turn into a significant competitive regional economic advantage for countries such as Romania, at least in the short- and medium-term. In this context, we aim to investigate whether there are climatic conditions, such as the extension of the tourist season on the coast (in the case of destinations that have four seasons and are known for having a shorter number of summer days), that can be turned into advantages. In this regard, we have conducted exploratory research to analyse if there is a statistically significant correlation between the indicators regarding climate change and tourism arrivals on the Romanian seaside, namely Constanta county. For our study, we used secondary data, provided by the Romanian National Meteorological Administration and the National Institute of Statistics, and accumulated a detailed profile of Romanian seaside summer tourism in the context of actual climate changes and challenges. Climate change may have significant consequences on the tourism industry and economic growth as well. Information on the direct effects higher temperatures could have on tourism is lacking. Improving policy analysis is necessary to reduce uncertainties, further understanding, assess implications and enable the tourism industry to adapt to changing circumstances.

Since ancient times, people have used salt for cooking and preserving food, its healing benefits, and as a means of payment. Therefore, the first settlements were located near water, food, and preferably salt, as prerequisites to further social and economic development. Naturally, the social development, the healing properties of salt, and the beauty of some salt landscapes have led to the development of tourism as an essential asset for rural communities. This paper aims to investigate the research focusing on the use of salt resources in tourism and to see if the exploitation of salt landscapes is an actual research topic linked to rural development. The study’s primary objectives are to investigate the scientific output in the tourism field, the main drivers in scientific production, and any connection between the importance of salt landscapes in tourism and sustainable rural development. The article represents a bibliometric analysis of 437 scientific articles published in prestigious journals indexed in the Web of Science until November 2023. The results emphasised a need for more research on using salt landscapes and resources in tourism as a central topic, as most identified studies focus on proposing models for the sustainable development of former salt mines and ecosystem restoration using tourism activity. Since many salt mining operations have been closed and the inhabitants of the neighbouring rural localities have been left without the related income, the results of this research are helpful for specialists in the field and for decision-makers to have a clear view of the development trends of areas rich in salt resources for tourism purposes.