TOURISM AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT.

The paper presents a theoretical approach of the relation between tourism and local development. The research method used is based on documenting and summarizing aspects related to the importance of tourism on local development. According to data provided by the World Tourism Organization (WTO, 2014), compared to 2010, a 91% increase of the number of international tourist arrivals is forecasted in 2030, from 948 million arrivals (2010) to 1,810 million arrivals (2030). Therefore, it is no surprise that tourism is viewed as a development strategy in many national economies. Tourism literature captures a series of arguments that emphasize the contribution of tourism to local development by: creating new jobs, revitalizing cultural traditions, improving infrastructure, environmental protection, etc. For Romania, as well, it may be noted that tourism strategies included in the 2013-2016 Government Programme are oriented towards local tourism by: decentralizing the authorization and approval activity, developing an integrated tourism by capitalizing all the local resources (cultural, agricultural, handicraft, etc.), connecting Romanian tourism to international trends, etc. In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the 2013-2016 Government Program provides the clarification on the issue of decentralization, since the current government believes that a balanced development of Romania can only be achieved through transfer of authority to the local, county and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]