Paper long abstract:

The positive and negative impacts that second homes in tourism can cause on local and regional development have been greatly emphasized in the political and academic discourse. Particularly in the most fragile rural areas, sensitive to the impacts of tourism activities, a special attention must be given towards a sustainable tourism development, that needs to be well planned and integrative of the local people's needs, of those of local economic agents and to everyone involved in the tourism destination product, as well as integrative of the main destination resources that constitute its strongest and most distinctive appeal and deserve preservation.

Second homes have additionally created an increasing interest in the rural areas, supported by the recent social, economic and cultural changes, and by the transformation of the countryside itself, factors which have generated a fresh interest in this area for tourism purposes. These dwellings appear more and more as an important element in the landscape transformation and soil usage. At present, second homes are considered as opportunities for regional development and can stimulate the local economy and contribute to the upgrading of rural areas, but also cause impacts and challenges in regional planning, introducing an increasing multifunctionality of rural areas, making management more complex and difficult. The present paper discusses the concept of destination marketing, as well as on its role and potential for sustainable planning and management of a destination, with particular emphasis on the specificity of second homes in rural areas.