Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 1
Written by Mirela STANCIU, Iulian BRATU, Eniko GASPAR, Maria-Mihaela ANTOFIE, Agatha POPESCU

The attractiveness and popularity of a rural tourism destination depend on a whole series of factors, the most important of which refer to the beauty of the landscape and the provision of unique, memorable and authentic experiences. The commune of Porumbacu de Jos is part of the ethnogeographic area "Ţara Oltului", is located in the mountainous area of Sibiu County, Romania, with 34% of its surface covered with forests and is the access point to the mountain hiking trails in the Făgăraș Mountains. The initiative of some tourism entrepreneurs who built here some unique attractions, such as the ”Clay Castle” ("Castelul de Lut") and the "Calendar Story" ("Povestea Calendarului") theme park, have brought thousands of tourists to the commune annually. Currently, there are 35 accommodation facilities operating in the commune, generally, these are rustic houses, decorated in the traditional style of peasant houses in Transylvania. In the commune, there is a registered a family-owned restaurant and a local gastronomic point. The operational accommodation capacity in 2024 was 6,944 bed-days. The highest values of tourism indicators were recorded in 2022 (tourism traffic density was 2.13, and tourism traffic intensity was 3.98). The tourism operation rate in 2024 was 0.108.The local tourism offer is promoted on various information and booking platforms, with tourists praising the quality and comfort of the accommodations, the tranquillity, the beauty of the landscape, the hospitality of the hosts, and the uniqueness of the experience. In the future, sustained efforts are needed to improve market-oriented promotion and to digitally transform the tourism offer.

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