sustainability Article Mărginimea Sibiului Tells Its Story: Sustainability, Cultural Heritage and Rural Tourism—A Supply-Side Perspective 1 2, 3 4 Monica Maria Coros, , Donatella Privitera * , Loredana Maria Păunescu , Adrian Nedelcu , 5 6 Cristina Lupu and Alexandru Ganus, ceac 1 Department of Hospitality Services, Faculty of Business, Babes-Bolyai University, 400174 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
[email protected] 2 Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy 3 Department of Cybernetics, Economic Informatics, Finance and Accounting, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploies, ti, 100680 Ploies, ti, Romania;
[email protected] 4 Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploies, ti, 100680 Ploies, ti, Romania;
[email protected] 5 Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania;
[email protected] 6 Department of Human and Economic Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-368-785-7650 Abstract: Territorial development and rural tourism are linked. Rural tourism involves tourists in rural areas who are attracted by the distinctive character of the landscape, recreation such as local and food resources, and the potential for spiritual, environmental, and cultural growth. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the economic, sustainable, and social role of tourism in the development of the rural area of Mărginimea Sibiului in Romania. It highlights the role of local entrepreneurs in developing new practices and sustainable approaches. Drawing on the literature review on the topic Citation: Coros, , M.M.; Privitera, D.; of sustainable rural tourism, this paper uses the case study as a methodological approach.