Changes of Tourists’ Motivations and Preferences towards Health Tourism Services. Case Study: The Potential Tourism Cluster Moineşti-Târgu Ocna-Slănic Moldova

In the context in which society is evolving at a high speed and lifestyle is becoming increasingly stressful, the tourist, respectively patient-tourist motivations and preferences meet changes also. In these conditions, health resorts are forced to fold on the actual situation and to adjust their tourist offer for meeting the customer’s needs and for keeping, at least, the number of tourist arrivals. The actual paper tried to ensure if the motivations and preferences of Romanian modern patient-tourist correspond with the conclusions of global trend described in specialized literature, through survey amongst residents of Moineşti municipality, Târgu Ocna and Slănic Moldova health resorts. According to the specialized literature, the modern tourist is well informed, he has a higher level of knowledge, he is looking for an active and sprinkled stay with unique and complex activities. The results highlighted several similarities and differences between specialized literature and the present study, showing that Romania’s situation does not entirely correspond with the global trend.