Cultural Tourism Potential, as Part of Rural Tourism Development in the North-East of Romania

AbstractNorth-East is the largest region of Romania, in terms of number of inhabitants and the area held, but last in relation to the development stage. Although the North-East economy is currently supported by the tourism sector, there is still growth potential, especially referring to business involvement. A qualitative rural tourism requires a process of modernization, development and innovation in the sector by creating competitive travel services in the main areas of interest: Iaşi, Suceava and Neamt. These important North-East cities are loaded with cultural heritage through historical sites, cultural buildings (museums, memorial houses) and religious evidence (churches and ancient monasteries). In order to properly analyze the productivity of the tourism sector, we make reference to the following indicators: accommodation capacity in operation, the number of tourists, the number of overnight stays, average length of stay