The Three-dimensional Model for Operationalization and Measurement of the Destination Image in Case of Transylvania. A Theoretical Approach Based on Tourism Resources

Abstract

As conceptual frameworks for this paper, we specify the tourist destination literature, tourist image, and cultural tourism. We are talking about Transylvania as an ex-province of Romania and a current geographical and historical region which encompasses maximum 10 counties: Alba, Bistrița, Brașov, Cluj, Covasna, Mureș, Harghita, Hunedoara, Sălaj, Sibiu. Because of the multitude and the variety of tourism resources, complementarity the most specific attribute for the tourist attractiveness of this multicultural region. The predominance of Transylvania's tourist resources is composed of the anthropic ones, which bear the mark of the 3 great cohabitant ethnic groups: the Romanians, the Hungarians and the Germans. The natural tourism resources assure the background for the anthropic ones. Regarding the research methodology used in this study, we mention the documentation consisting in studying specialized tourism bibliography – various studies and articles on tourist destination image –, and romanian geographical literature. Another kind of documentation consisted in studying the manner of presenting and describing the natural and anthropic resources in guides and promotional materials about Transylvania as the most attractive Romania’s destination. For this paper we also did the prospection of Transylvania’s most important, famous and valuable tourism resources, both natural and anthropic. Finally, we chose the three-dimensional model imagined and proposed by Echtner and Ritchie – one of the most well-known conceptual models in this field – for applying it as an efficient instrument in operationalizing and measurement of Transylvania’s image as a tourist destination.