COVID-19 Pandemic and Local Cultural Tourism in the Buzau Carpathians and Subcarpathians (Romania)

The COVID-19 pandemic was and continues to be a major challenge for tourist activities
worldwide. Cultural tourism was mostly hit because of the social distancing measures, travel restrictions
and ban on people gatherings for cultural events. The current study is trying to provide
an overall image of the challenges local cultural tourism has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic
in a predominantly rural area of Romania—the Buzau Carpathians and Subcarpathians. The area
has a high tourist potential stemming from the complexity and diversity of the natural landscapes
and the local historical setting. The survey relies on two field campaigns carried out in 2020 when
161 questionnaires were applied to tourists, businesses and residents. The results highlight the significant
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses during and after the travel restrictions
(e.g., revenue losses, temporary business shut-downs and layoffs/technical unemployment), but also
on tourists’ travelling preferences and sentiment and on residents’ attitudes and behaviour.