Adapting the TDM-Model in the Development of Tourism in Harghita County

Starting from the necessity of strategy planning in regional and local tourism development, we will try to adapt the tourism destination management concept over several areas in Harghita county. Interdisciplinary research shows unfavorable situations for a sustainable tourism development, this is why there is a need for involvement proposals in the territorial administration, in the specific relations to the tourism system. The attractive resources sometimes are endangered by improper ways of exploitation, this proves the necessity that the government should get even more involved, even on the level of the local public authorities. As a result a new organizational model should be implemented, which should engage representatives of the enterprise sectors, of NGOs and of public institutions as well. The geographic structure of Harghita County (morpho-hydrographic, small urban polarizing areas, micro-regional identity, dispersion of attractive resources etc) proposes the elaboration of the Tourism Destination Management on different territorial levels: local, microregional, county and cross-county - regional. After the founding of a TDM Organization;which based on a well elaborated tourism development strategy would carry out this complex activity, and possesses its own necessary resources as well; the tourism within the county and its micro-regions could become more sustainable. This strategy holds the management of the hazards and risk elements as well.