Cactus Tourism Journal Vol. 3, No. 1, 2021 New Series, Pages 65-69, ISSN 2247-3297 65 A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF ROMANIAN TOURISM, AT THE BORDER BETWEEN THE MILLENNIA (1989-2019) Puiu Nistoreanu 1 , Mihail – Ovidiu Tănase 2 1 Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, puiu.nistoreanu@com.ase.ro 2 Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, mihail.tanase@com.ase.ro Abstract During the last 30 years we have witnessed major changes in tourism worldwide due to a lot of factors. Changes in political situation in Eastern Europe open a lot of countries to international tourism. Changes in air transport made more accessible some overseas or island destination. The increase of general welfare boosted the demand for tourism and the stability of the socio-political environment sustains a steady upward trend in international tourism arrivals. Looking back at Romania’s tourism we see a period with major structural changes and some major turning points. A brief evolution of the sector is presented with an emphasis on the most important years. The most important regulations are presented in this paper together with their impact on Romania’s tourism sector. To show a more accurate image we include main statistical information about this topic demonstrating that tourism is an important part of Romanian economy. Keywords: Romania, tourism, change, industry evolution JEL Classification: E66, G38, Z32, L83 DOI: 10.24818/CTS/3/2021/1.07 Introduction At the beginning of the decade two of the twenty-one century, Olivier Dehhorne (2013) -- from the University of West Indies -- said that at the level of the world it seems that an era is over. The era where world is a large playground open to tourists. On the other hand, a report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2012) shows a galloping evolution toward what we now call mass tourism. Thus, if in 1950 tourist flows were only about 25 million international tourists, two decades later they increased to 278 million, and then there were already 687 million people in 2000. Tourism has become a mass practice. Tourism flows around the world correspond to economic and political logic and are reflected in complex power relationships, involving the most sophisticated strategies. This is because we are currently discussing the beneficial effects of the multiplier effect of tourism activities carried out in certain areas, regions, countries and over-tourism in others. Obviously, tourism activities have repercussions on the economy, on the natural and built environment, on the local population of the destination and on the tourists themselves. The range and variety of production factors needed to obtain these goods and services purchased by visitors, as well as the range of agents interested in or affected by tourism, generate multiple impacts and an integrated approach to tourism development, management and control is needed. This approach is strongly recommended for the formulation and implementation of national and local tourism policies, as well as for necessary international agreements or other mechanisms regarding tourism. Tourism has proved vital for many countries, such as Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Spain and Thailand, and for some island nations (Bahamas, Fiji, Maldives) due to the substantial financial contribution from goods and business services and employment opportunities in the tourism-related services industry. The services industry includes transport services (air transport, cruises, taxis) and hospitality services  Contact author