YOUTH' ATTITUDE TO ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA. CASE STUDY: MEHEDINTI COUNTY.

In the wake of the climate changes of the past decades, people have become aware of the impact of pollution on the environment. As a result, the marketing activity has emphasized the protection and conservation of natural resources. This has led to the emergence of ecotourism as the form of tourism which allows for the superior knowledge, appreciation and conservation of nature. In addition, this form of tourism introduces tourists to the local cultures and traditions available at the tourist destinations. The present paper aims to identify the youth's perception of ecotourism development at the level of micro-destinations (in this particular case Romania, the Mehedinti county). This has been gauged through quantitative research intended to identify the opinions of a significant emerging market segment, that is the youth and their perceptions of ecotourism as implemented at the level of the micro-destination under analysis. The practical relevance of the approach lies in the fact that the results obtained will be employed in the development process of the ecotourist strategies of the destination under focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]