Citation: B˘ ab˘ at , , A.-F.; Mazilu, M.; Nit , ˘ a, A.; Dr ˘ aguleasa, I.-A.; Grigore, M. Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index: From Theoretical Definition to Practical Analysis in Romania. Sustainability 2023, 15, 10157. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su151310157 Academic Editors: Puiu Nistoreanu, Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei and Dan-Cristian Dabija Received: 17 May 2023 Revised: 17 June 2023 Accepted: 21 June 2023 Published: 26 June 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). sustainability Article Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index: From Theoretical Definition to Practical Analysis in Romania Andrei-Florin Băbăt , , Mirela Mazilu * , Amalia Nit , ă * , Ionut , -Adrian Drăguleasa and Mihaela Grigore Geography Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Craiova, 13 A. I. Cuza Street, 200585 Craiova, Romania; andreibabat@yahoo.com (A.-F.B.); draguleasa.ionut.t7h@student.ucv.ro (I.-A.D.); mihaela.grigore@starholiday.ro (M.G.) * Correspondence: mirelamazilu2004@yahoo.com (M.M.); amalia.nita@edu.ucv.ro (A.N.) Abstract: The competitiveness of tourist destinations presents, from the perspective of sustainability, certain benefits in terms of local and regional development: the involvement of local authorities (city, local and county councils, population) in the conservation of tourist resources, the involvement of tourism agencies in the promotion of rural areas, the creation of brands for each tourist destina- tion/region and the protection of cultural-historical heritage from degradation. Competitiveness, as a segment of sustainability, integrated in Romanian local communities, is necessary in order to offer tourists an unmistakable experience of the natural and anthropogenic tourism potential of destinations, to raise the population’s awareness, to preserve traditions, customs and habits and to practice tourism based on sustainability, awareness and without any pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to highlight the image of Romania’s tourism competitiveness, which could support the tourism economy in the long term, by analysing the Global Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index (TTCI) in Romania, compared to two other neighbouring countries, Bulgaria and Hungary. The Global Competitiveness Index provides an integrative picture of the main sub-indices that interfere in the formation of a country’s competitiveness, with insights on the 12 pillars that intervene in the sustainable development of tourist destinations worldwide. Keywords: competitiveness; tourism; competitiveness Index; destinations; indicators 1. Introduction According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the tourism industry constituted 10.4% of the worldwide Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018. It generated 319 million jobs, which accounted for 10% of the total employment. Additionally, the tourism sector represented approximately 6.5% of the overall global exports [1,2]. In 2022, the Travel and Tourism sector contributed 7.6% to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), marking a 22% increase compared to 2021 when the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was at its height. It is worth noting that this figure was only 23% below the levels recorded in 2019 [3]. Therefore, it can be concluded that the tourism sector represents a dynamic market for the growth, development, and capitalization of economies worldwide. Consequently, one can say that the tourism sector represents a dynamic market in the growth, development and capitalization of the economies of all countries worldwide. Competitiveness, as defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), refers to the inclination and capacity of a specific country, region, city, or business entity to manufacture goods, including services, that fulfil the demands of the global market (in terms of internationalizing businesses) within a free market environment. Simultaneously, it involves the ability to sustain and enhance long-term real personal incomes and ensure development through ongoing, steady, and dynamic technological advancements [4]. Competitiveness can also be viewed as a pursuit of sustained profitability that typically exceeds the average performance within the industry [5]. At the same time, tourism Sustainability 2023, 15, 10157. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310157 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability