UNDERSTANDING RESIDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN BRASOV COUNTY

The development of a tourist destination generates many influences on residents, both positive and negative. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the most significant aspects regarding the impact exerted by the tourism development in the destination Brasov County on the residents. In order to achieve this goal a qualitative marketing research focus-group type was conducted. The sample included 16 respondents, from different areas of activity, namely representatives of local authorities and public institutions who know which are the residents' perceptions and attitudes regarding the effects of tourism development in the destination, NGO's representatives, tourism companies managers and also academics from the tourism field. The paper also highlights which are the effects of tourism development on issues like quality of life, local identity and specificity, and reveals the extent in which residents were involved in planning the destination's tourism development. The results obtained represent a first step in conducting a future quantitative marketing research among the residents from the destination Brasov County on this aspects. Moreover, the results reveal the fact that education and awareness campaigns may be a step toward increased understanding of the industry and, ultimately, greater support from the community and residents.