The Roadmap to Recovery - Main Measures Adopted in EuropeanCountries for Tourism Recovery

The present economic and financial crisis influenced considerably the tourism sector, at global level. Thus, in 2009, international tourist arrivals dropped by 4% and revenues from international tourism decreased by 6%, at global level. The governments in most of the countries with significant tourism attractiveness have analyzed the impact of the crisis on tourism and have elaborated and adopted policies, strategies and concrete measures, meant to support tourism re-launch. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) created a "Tourism Recovery Committee", entitled "Tourism Resilience Committee", ever since 2008. Also, a "Roadmap to Recovery" was created including a series a measures which were meant to encourage the recovery of tourism activity. The present paper presents a few lessons to be learned from the evolution of the crisis and how the governments from many countries of the world reacted, as well as some of the measures adopted by some European countries for the rebound of the tourism sector, affected by the crisis, measures which were identified and included within the document authored by UNWTO, entitled "1st Roadmap to Recovery". Most of these measures represent best practice examples and should be taken into consideration in view of applying them also in Romania.