Ecotourism Activities – An Opportunity For Sustainable Rural Development In Dobrudgea

Ecotourism is a new travel philosophy that combines recreation, education, active tourism, adventure and cultural aspects of a journey of discovery; it brings benefits to both tourists and visited areas. Global demand for this particularly promising niche is significantly growing and should continue to increase over the coming years. In this paper we present some aspects of the development stage of ecotourism activities within and around the natural protected areas in Dobrudgea – a historical province located in Romania's South-East extremity, as well as a set of proposals to orient the efforts of putting into value of these destinations through ecotourism activities, as an opportunity for sustainable rural development. For an increased relevance of the analysis, the information was obtained from studies and articles published in specialized journals, from governmental documents, as well as from other development strategies related to ecotourism and sustainable rural development. Taking into consideration the natural and anthropic tourism resources, the tourism types and forms and the tourism infrastructure, Dobrudgea is a region where ecotourism is an important instrument for preserving nature, educating visitors and supporting rural development.