The competitiveness of tourist destinations presents, from the perspective of sustainability, certain benefits in terms of local and regional development: the involvement of local authorities (city, local and county councils, population) in the conservation of tourist resources, the involvement of tourism agencies in the promotion of rural areas, the creation of brands for each tourist destination/region and the protection of cultural-historical heritage from degradation. Competitiveness, as a segment of sustainability, integrated in Romanian local communities, is necessary in order to offer tourists an unmistakable experience of the natural and anthropogenic tourism potential of destinations, to raise the population’s awareness, to preserve traditions, customs and habits and to practice tourism based on sustainability, awareness and without any pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to highlight the image of Romania’s tourism competitiveness, which could support the tourism economy in the long term, by analysing the Global Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index (TTCI) in Romania, compared to two other neighbouring countries, Bulgaria and Hungary. The Global Competitiveness Index provides an integrative picture of the main sub-indices that interfere in the formation of a country’s competitiveness, with insights on the 12 pillars that intervene in the sustainable development of tourist destinations worldwide.

The study aims to explore the resilience and adaptation of the tourism sector during economic and health crises, with a focus on specific events and their impact. The main objective is to contribute with valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on crisis management and sustainable practices within the tourism industry. Thus, it presents the dynamics of the tourism sector's resilience and adaptability amidst challenges, spotlighting the repercussions of the 2008–2012 economic crisis and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Through a theoretical analysis of tourism risk, the research asserts the industry's susceptibility to exogenous hazards, emphasizing the multi-level risks spanning from individual businesses to the broader tourism landscape. The study shows the distinct characteristics that differentiate the 2008–2012 economic-financial crisis, highlighting globalization's intricate interdependencies, and the consequential impact on public finances. Amidst these challenges, the tourism sector faced a notable reduction in tourist numbers, nights spent in accommodations, and a fluctuating percentage of international tourists. However, a detailed examination reveals the industry's resilience strategies during the economic crisis, as tourists, while adjusting behaviour, continued to engage in travel with altered preferences, prompting the sector to adapt and survive. Shifting focus to the COVID-19 pandemic, the study unfolds a sector witnessing unprecedented challenges ranging from business closures and mass unemployment to financial losses. The global decrease in tourist arrivals echoes the profound impact of travel restrictions and the obligatory vaccination certificate. Analyzing the resilience of the tourism sector during the pandemic, the study explores the aftermath of decreased visitor numbers, a substantial hit to the sector's economic contribution, and the liquidation of numerous small and medium-sized enterprises. The article also sheds light on anti-crisis measures and strategies adopted during the pandemic, including EU funding initiatives and policy recommendations. Throughout, the study implicitly underlines the importance of adaptive strategies and policy interventions for sustained resilience in the tourism sector, providing valuable insights for policymakers, industry practitioners, and researchers dealing with challenges imposed by economic and health crises.

Border areas are a real challenge for tourism development. Usually associated with the periphery from a socio-economic point of view, these areas often have natural potential and attractive landscapes that have been little transformed by human activity and numerous historical and cultural tourist attractions. Although these areas have considerable tourism potential, this is not sufficient for the sustainable development of tourism and the exploitation of this potential is strongly influenced by the degree of permeability of the border. This is the case of the Romanian-Serbian border, which overlaps the most spectacular sector of the Danube – the Iron Gates Gorge. The main aim of this article is to analyse the role of tourism in the development of border areas and how it functions in a particular territorial context: the Danube Gorge located at the border between Romania and Serbia. The Romanian-Serbian border currently functions as an external border of the European Union in a favourable historical and political context, given the tradition of good neighbourliness between the two entities, the states located on either side of the Danube. However, the communist period altered the prospects for tourism development in this region through a very drastic and controlled border regime, even though the area benefited from major investment projects, such as the dam and hydroelectric power station at Porțile de Fier, built in the 1970s in cooperation with the former Yugoslavia. An analysis of the statistical data on tourism development shows that tourist traffic is on the increase, although there is a contradiction between the upward trend in tourist flows and the backwardness of large-scale tourist infrastructure, with the dominant type of accommodation being small, flexible, and rural accommodation that does not require large investments. The results presented in this article can be summarised in the general conclusion that the development of tourism in the Danube Gorge–Iron Gates remains dependent on the political factor and the border regime, even though the region has a remarkable tourism potential.