FOLIA GEOGRAPHICA

Menu

Folia Geographica 2025, 67/2, pp. ...

TOURISM RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF COVID-19: INSIGHTS FROM ACCOMMODATION ENTERPRISES IN NORTH-WESTERN ROMANIA

Ferenc SZILÁGYIAB*, Zoltán BUJDOSÓC, Pál Péter SZABÓD

Received: May 15, 2025 | Revised: Juky 9, 2025 | Accepted: July 15, 2025

Paper No. 25-67/2-767

 
A* Partium Christian University, 410209, Oradea, Romania
B   Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2100, Gödöllő, Hungary
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8034-6674
    ferenc.szilagyi@partium.ro (corresponding author)

C Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 3200, Gyöngyös, Hungary
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5023-074X
    bujdoso.zoltan@uni-mate.hu

D Eötvös Lóránd University, 1053, Budapest, Hungary
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2140-2223
    pal.szabo@ttk.elte.hu

 

ONLINE FIRST

 

Abstract
Tourism, a sector of the globalised economy particularly susceptible to disruption, was severely affected by the emergence of the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The ability of destinations to absorb shocks and recover3 rapidly, i.e. their resilience, became a key research issue. This paper investigates the tourism sector’s resilience in the historical Partium region of north-western Romania (Arad, Bihor, Maramureș, Satu Mare and Sălaj counties) between 2019 and 2023. The period under investigation encompassed pre-crisis prosperity, two pan3demic years and the immediate post-pandemic rebound, further complicated by the war in Ukraine. This study utilised a curated micro-database comprising nearly 1,000 accommodation enterprises (CAEN Rev. 2 codes 5510, 5520, 5530, 5590), complemented by official fiscal returns, to conduct a comprehensive analysis. The analysis encompassed net turnover, employment, and labour productivity alterations, delineating intraregional disparities. Furthermore, identifying factors underpinning disparate recovery trajectories was a pivotal objective. The results demonstrate several key findings: (i) a substantial 34 per cent decline in net turnover and a 9 per cent decrease in employment in 2020; (ii) a swift recovery, with 2023 turnover 50 per cent higher than the 2019 baseline, while employment remained 4 per cent lower; (iii) significant north-south variations, with Maramureș and Satu Mare exhibiting stronger growth in both firm numbers and turnover; (iv) the pivotal role of thermal resorts and mountain destinations in driving recovery; and (v) indications of structural reallocation of labour towards the Bihor metropolitan zone. The argument is that local natural assets, pre-existing tourism specialisation, and frontier position shape resilience outcomes. At the same time, the war-induced uncertainty mainly dampened growth in the immediate border zone. The policy implications of these findings underscore the necessity for targeted support to be provided to peripheral communities, diversified product development, and cross-border collaboration in the Schengen era.

Key words
 Tourism resilience, COVID‑19, accommodation enterprises, Partium, regional disparities, labour productivity.

 

REFERENCES

  1. BOICIUC, A. (2021, június 29). Granturi HoReCa: Cum poți cere, pas cu pas, ajutorul de stat. Avocatnet.ro. https://www.avocatnet.ro/articol_58307/Granturi-HoReCa-Cum-po%C8%9Bi-cere-pas-cu-pas-ajutorul-de-stat.html
  2. BOROS, A., KORCSMÁROS, E. (2024). Development Prospects of Rural Tourism Along the Danube. Key Factors of Satisfaction and the Role of Sustainability. Folia Geographica 66/2, 5-35.
  3. ÇETİN, A., & COŞKUNER, M. (2021). New Practice in Accommodation Facilities After Covid-19: Safe Tourism Certification Program. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Issues, 3(1), 16–22. https://doi.org/10.51525/johti.933071
  4. Coduri CAEN Rev. 2. (2024). [Dataset]. https://rev2.coduricaen.ro/
  5. CREȚU, R. C., HONȚUȘ, A. C., ALECU, I. I., SMEDESCU, D., & ȘTEFAN, P. (2020). Analysis of the ecotourist profile before the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis forecasts. Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development, Vol. 20(2.), 191-198. https://www.managementjournal.usamv.ro/pdf/vol.20_2/Art24.pdf
  6. DOGRU (Dr. True), T., MODY, M. A., HANKS, L., SUESS, C., IŞIK, C., & SOZEN, E. (2024). The impact of business models and state regulations on the accommodation sector: Theory and empirical evidence from the recent pandemic. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(6), 1713–1743. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2022-1201
  7. EROL, G., DELIORMANLI, A., & DÜŞMEZKALENDER, E. (2023). A tourism accommodation perspective in a post-pandemic nature-based tourism development context. In A. Mandić & S. K. Walia (Szerk.), The Routledge Handbook of Nature-Based Tourism Development. Taylor & Francis. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003230748-34/tourism-accommodation-perspective-post-pandemic-nature-based-tourism-development-context-g%C3%BCnay-erol-ay%C5%9Fe-deliormanli-ebru-d%C3%BC%C5%9Fmezkalender
  8. Eurostat. (2024). Nuitées dans des établissements d’hébergement touristiques par région NUTS 2 [Dataset]. Eurostat. https://doi.org/10.2908/TOUR_OCC_NIN2
  9. GONDA, T. (2022). Turizmus és reziliencia. Turizmus Bulletin, 27–36. https://doi.org/10.14267/TURBULL.2022v22n2.3
  10. HALL, C. M. (2017). Resilience in tourism: Development, theory, and application. In J. M. Cheer & A. A. Lew (Szerk.), Tourism, resilience and sustainability: Adapting to social, political and economic change (o. 16-32.). Routledge.
  11. HERMAN, G.V., BANTO, N., CIOCARA, T., GRAMA, V.,  UNGUREANU, M., FURDUI, S., BUHAS, R. &BUHAS, S. (2020):Tourism In Bihor County, Romania Trends And Prospects. Folia Geographica, 62(2), 87–105.
  12. HICP – annual data (average index and rate of change). (2025). Eurostat. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/prc_hicp_aind/default/table?lang=en&category=prc.prc_hicp
  13. HOLLING, C. S. (1973). Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4., 1-23.
  14. ILIE, L. (2022). Romanian government to lift COVID restrictions from March 9 | Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/romanian-government-lift-covid-restrictions-march-9-2022-03-08/
  15. KASZÁS, N., & KELLER, K. (2022). A nemzeti turisztikai desztináció menedzsment szervek válságkommunikációja a koronavírus-járvány előtt és alatt. In G. Michalkó, J. Németh, & Z. Birkner (Szerk.), Turizmusbiztonság, járvány, geopolitika (o. 37-52.). Bay Zoltán Alkalmazott Kutatási Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft.
  16. Local administrative units (LAU)—GISCO – Eurostat. (2024). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/gisco/geodata/statistical-units/local-administrative-units
  17. Local administrative units (LAU)—NUTS – Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics—Eurostat. (2024). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/nuts/local-administrative-units
  18. MARTIN, R. & SUNLEY, P. (2020). Regional economic resilience: Evolution and evaluation. In G. Bristow & A. Healy (Szerk.), Handbook on regional economic resilience (o. 10-35.).
  19. MATLOVIČ, R.; MATLOVIČOVÁ, K. (2020). First and second order discontinuities in world geographical thought and their primary reception in Slovak geography. Folia Geographica 62(1), 52–76.
  20. MATLOVIČ, R.; MATLOVIČOVÁ, K. (2024). Polycrisis in the Anthropocene as a key research agenda for geography: ontological delineation and the shift to a postdisciplinary approach. Folia Geographica 66(1), 5–33.
  21. MATLOVIČ, R.; MATLOVIČOVÁ, K. (2025). The Metamodern Shift in Geographical Thought: Oscillatory Ontology and Epistemology, Post‑disciplinary and Post‑paradigmatic Perspectives. Folia Geographica 67(1), 22–69.
  22. MATLOVIČOVÁ, K. (2024). The Triadic Nexus: Understanding the Interplay and Semantic Boundaries Between Place Identity, Place Image, and Place Reputation. Folia Geographica 66(1), 69–102.
  23. MURA, L., STEHLÍKOVÁ, B. (2025). Artificial Intelligence and Tourism in the EU: A Data‑Driven Analysis of Adoption and Economic Contribution. Folia Geographica 67(1), 70–99.
  24. MF Informații fiscale și bilanțuri—Acasa—MF. (2024). Acasa. https://mfinante.gov.ro/persoane-juridice/informatii-fiscale-si-bilanturi
  25. MITRICĂ, B., GRIGORESCU, I., MOCANU, I., ŞERBAN, P.-R., DAMIAN, N., DUMITRAŞCU, M., & DUMITRICĂ, C. (2022). COVID-19 Pandemic and Local Cultural Tourism in the Buzău Carpathians and Subcarpathians (Romania). Healthcare, 10(12), 2392. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10122392
  26. NEKOVA, M. (2023). The impact of COVID-19 on the accommodation sector in tourism—A bibliometric analysis. Journal of the Bulgarian Geographical Society, 48, 55–64. https://doi.org/10.3897/jbgs.e102519
  27. Noile reguli pentru acordarea de bani pentru cazare și masă refugiaților ucraineni, adoptate de guvern / Programul „50/20”, anulat—HotNews.ro. (2023, április 12). https://hotnews.ro/noile-reguli-pentru-acordarea-de-bani-pentru-cazare-si-masa-refugiatilor-ucraineni-adoptate-de-guvern-programul-50-20-anulat-71139
  28. PAPPAS, N., & GLYPTOU, K. (2021). Accommodation decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic: Complexity insights from Greece. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102767
  29. POPESCU, A. (2021). The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Romania’s Tourist Flows in the Year 2020. Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development, 21.(1.), 655-666. https://managementjournal.usamv.ro/pdf/vol.21_1/Art74.pdf
  30. Rezultate definitive RPL 2021 – Recensamantul Populatiei si Locuintelor. (2023). https://www.recensamantromania.ro/rezultate-rpl-2021/rezultate-definitive/
  31. SHARMA, G.D.,  THOMAS, A., JUSTIN, P. (2021): Reviving tourism industry post-COVID-19: A resilience-based framework. Tourism Management Perspectives 37(4):100786 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100786.
  32. SUTTON, J., ARCIDIACONO, A., TORRISI, G., & NUTIFALA ARKU, R. (2023). Regional economic resilience: A scoping review. Progress in Human Geography, 47.(4.), 500-532. https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325221125434
  33. STUPARIU, M.,  TATAR, C-F., STASAC, M. S., LINC, R., BUCUR, L., DINCA, J., NISTOR, S., FILIMON, C. & FILIMON, AL.L. (2022): A Tourist Flow Study Of The Rural Metropolitan Area Of Oradea Compared To Bihor County. Folia Geographica, 64(2), 21-45.
  34. SZILÁGYI, F. (2019a). Partium–Reintegráció a magyar-román határvidéken. Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem, Állam- és Jogtudományi Kar.
  35. SZILÁGYI, F. (2019b). The Concept of Partium Region. In F. Szilágyi, I. SÜLI-ZAKAR, & M. BAKK (Szerk.), Partium – Borders, ethnic groups and territorial development (o. 181-266.). Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem, Állam- és Jogtudományi Kar.
  36. SZILÁGYI, F., & ELEKES, T. (2020). Changes in administration, spatial structure, and demography in the Partium region since the Treaty of Trianon. Regional Statistics, 10(1), 101–119. https://doi.org/10.15196/RS100104
  37. SZILÁGYI, F., & FOGARASI, J. (2024). Románia partiumi megyéinek munkaerőpiaci sajátosságai. Észak-magyarországi Stratégiai Füzetek, 21(03), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.32976/stratfuz.2024.23
  38. SZILÁGYI, F., & MIKLÓSNÉ ZAKAR, A. (2021). Centrumok és perifériák mozgásban – térszerkezeti változások a partiumban trianontól napjainkig. Kisebbségi Szemle, 2021(4), 43-71. https://bgazrt.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/4.Szilagyi_etal.pdf
  39. SZIVÓS, E., HEGEDŰS, M., BALOGH, S., ZSARNÓCZKY-DULHÁZI, F., GYURKÓ, Á., & DÁVID, L. (2024). Impact of changes of hospital integrations spanning a decade in Hungary: Modern diagnostic services: CT care based on a Hungarian sample. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(6), 4215.  doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i6.4215
  40. TEMPO Online. (2025). TUR105D – Innoptari in structuri de primire turistica pe tipuri de structuri, tipuri de turisti, macroregiuni, regiuni de dezvoltare si judete. http://statistici.insse.ro:8077/tempo-online/#/pages/tables/insse-table
  41. TÓTH, B. I. (2012). Regionális rugalmasság – rugalmas régiók. Tér és Társadalom, 26(2), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.17649/TET.26.2.2013
  42. TRAINO, F. (2024). The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on accommodation preferences in Italy: A temporal and geographical analysis (2018-2022). Turistica – Italian Journal of Tourism, 33(1), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.70732/tijt.v33i1.43
  43. TÚRI, G., KASSAY, J., VIRÁG, A., DÓZSA, C., HORVÁTH, K., & LORENZOVICI, L. (2022). Riding the Pandemic Waves—Lessons to Be Learned from the COVID-19 Crisis Management in Romania. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 7(7), 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7070122
  44. WTTC. (2024). Global Economic Impact & Trends. World Travel & Tourism Council, https://researchhub.wttc.org/product/economic-impact-report-global-trends.