Understanding Romanian Generational Preferences and Travel Decision-Making When Choosing a Rural Destination

Andra Ramona Poruțiu, Anca Monica Brata, Diana E. Dumitras, Olivia Paula Oros () and Iulia C. Muresan ()
Additional contact information
Andra Ramona Poruțiu: Department of Economic Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture and Business in Rural Development, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăștur St., 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Anca Monica Brata: Department of Engineering of Food Products, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
Diana E. Dumitras: Department of Economic Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture and Business in Rural Development, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăștur St., 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Olivia Paula Oros: Department of Animal Husbandry and Agritourism, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
Iulia C. Muresan: Department of Economic Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture and Business in Rural Development, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăștur St., 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered consumer behavior and reshaped the tourism industry, particularly impacting travel destination choices. Pre-pandemic, travelers prioritized experiences and adventure, often overlooking health and safety concerns. However, during and after the pandemic, health, hygiene, and the COVID-19 situation emerged as crucial factors in choosing a rural destination, alongside economic considerations. The current study analyzed the tourists’ preferences in the North-West development region of Romania when choosing a rural destination. An online survey was conducted, and 563 questionnaires were validated in the end. The principal component analysis used to analyze the collected data led to a two-factor solution: “sanitary and administrative” and “economic and social”. Comparative analysis based on age showed significant differences in education, income, and family composition between Generation Y and Generation Z. Preferences for domestic destinations and participation in festivals were higher among Generation Z, while interest in international travel was comparable between the generations. These findings provide insights into the evolving travel behaviors and preferences of different age groups in the wake of the pandemic.

Keywords: rural tourism; tourists’ preferences; Generation Z; Generation Y; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/10/4074/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/10/4074/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:10:p:4074-:d:1393652

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().