SUSTAINABLE ARCHAEOTOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. CASE STUDY: MURES VALLEY AXIS, ROMANIA

Sustainable development is a topic of significant interest for developed and developing countries. Sustainable development is particularly evident when a collaboration occurs between the geographical and archaeological components. In Mures County, Romania, a major physical -geographical and economic -geographical axis extends approximately 180 km along the Mures River valley, following a NE -SW direction. Throughout history, the Mures River has played a crucial role as it was a very intensive waterway used both for commercial traffic and for strategic purposes. This study is based on a multidisciplinary collaboration, with the primary objective of highlighting the significance of the Mures Valley in the county and emphasizing the contributions of archaeology and archaeological discoveries to the development of a niche tourism, the archaeooturism. Through these contributions, we wish to highlight the beginning of a sustainable economic development in the county. For a thorough examination carried out by studying specialized literature, clear objectives were established: determining the geographical axes, analyzing the archeological discoveries in the county and determining the archaeological axis along the Mures Valley. To fulfill the main objective, the concepts of the geographical and archaeotourism axis of the Mures Valley were introduced. This axis plays a pivotal role in fostering the economic development of the county. By employing the notion of an axis, the study demonstrates the existing relationship between the subject under analysis by exploring how archaeotourism contributes to sustainable development, and identifies the prerequisites for sustainability. Mathematical methods specific to tourism research were employed to support these assertions. This approach uncovered significant value sets, underscoring the importance of the established axis and its substantial contribution to economic and touristic development.