Journal of tourism [No. 12] 53 EDUCATING AND INFORMING TOURISM CONSUMERS IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Professor Ph.D. Carmen NĂSTASE Assistant Ph.D. Student Adrian Liviu SCUTARIU Associate Professor Ph.D. Carmen CHAŞOVSCHI "Ştefan cel Mare" University, Suceava, Romania Abstract This article addresses aspects of environmental behavior in tourism issues, in the context in which, sustainable development has become increasingly important, due to preservation of natural and cultural heritage,upon which the very existence of future tourism depends. Mass tourism is declining in favor of individualized forms of tourism such as ecotourism, where Romania, especially Bukovina area, has a great potential. Responsible environmental behavior is addressed to all actors involved in tourism, suppliers, consumers and authorities. Necessary initiatives are those of spreading awareness and good practice, and to this end, we chose to present a significant initiative from Bukovina zone, shaped in the form of a project, from which people working in tourism have been trained in the spirit of environmentally friendly behavior and will disseminate it among tourists with which come into contact. What we consider important in the future, in such tourism projects, regardless of their essential objective, is the inclusion of issues related to sustainability and ecological behavior. Key words: Tourism, Sustainable development, Ecological behavior, Conservation, Ecotourism, information. JEL Classification: L83, Q57 1. INTRODUCTION In the touristic field of activity, the sustainable development is as important as the degradation of nature and the cultural patrimony, which are the tourists‟ main motivations, would lead to the decrease of their interest, and so, to an activity‟s decrease. Taking into account the fact that, the tourists are more and more attracted by the unique places and the intact nature, it is necessary to preserve this natural capital, which can consist in the Romania‟s competitive advantage in order to be on a long term used. Unfortunately, yet, not all the operators think of a long term development, but to their immediate profits, which are desired to be the greatest. The local community, through authorities, as well as the entrepreneurs themselves, should become aware of this aspect and even more than that, to contribute to the promotion of an ecological responsible behavior among tourists, by informing them. 2. THE CONCEPT OF DURABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT OF INFORMING THE TOURISM SUPPLIER AND CONSUMER The politics and the plans of regional development in the last years took more and more into account the tourism‟s field of activity as a strategically domain in order to assure an economical dynamic and durable increase of some regions which possess an important touristic potential. The tourism has the capacity to contribute to the generation of a region‟s internal development, the reduction of regional disequilibrium, the geographical redistribution of wealth from the metropolitan areas towards the least developed and the most remote areas. The tourism appears, thus, as a realistic alternative of different regions‟ development. In this context, by its geographical position and the rich natural and entropic potential, Romania will be able to become an area of great attraction for tourists, in the conditions in which a series of strategies of durable touristic development will be created, implemented and promoted, that include also a prevention component of the environment‟s destruction, at the national and the regional level. The tourism does not affect the environment at a high level, such as other economical fields of activity, yet, to conserve the natural environment, it is necessary that the tourism‟s development to be a durable one. The durable development , according to the World Commission on Environment and Development responds to the necessities of actual generations, without destroying the future generations‟ chances to respond to their own necessities. Thus, the development can generate prosperity, if it regenerates the resources and it protects the environment (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.43).