ABSTRACT

Hunting tourism represents a specialised form of active tourism in which hunting constitutes the primary travel motivation, generating both economic value and symbolic significance for destinations. In Romania, the hunter-tourist experience is shaped by a combination of complementary services, including organisation, guiding, accommodation, logistics, and trophy evaluation. The integration and quality of these components influence not only visitor satisfaction but also destination image and competitive positioning.This study examines the role of tourism policies in the development of hunting tourism and investigates how digitalisation contributes to destination promotion, stakeholder communication, and market visibility within this niche segment. Particular attention is given to pricing as a strategic instrument of market positioning, with emphasis on the concept of total price, which incorporates not only financial costs but also time, effort, and perceived risks associated with the experience. The research adopts a comparative approach between Romania and Hungary, combining an analysis of legislative frameworks, institutional documents, and tourism practices with empirical research conducted among hunting and sport fishing associations in Transylvania. The empirical analysis is based on an adapted SERVQUAL questionnaire administered to 135 respondents from the counties of Mureș, Alba, Bistrița-Năsăud, and Sibiu.The results indicate an overall negative SERVQUAL gap (-0.66), revealing a discrepancy between stakeholder expectations and perceived service performance. The findings suggest that Romania’s competitiveness in hunting tourism is constrained not by the availability of natural resources, but by limitations in service quality, perceived value creation, digital communication, and destination branding. Compared with Hungary, Romania continues to rely predominantly on resource-based advantages, while opportunities related to digital transformation and integrated service development remain insufficiently exploited.The study concludes that strengthening the competitiveness of hunting tourism destinations requires coherent tourism policies, improved service delivery, enhanced digital engagement, and strategic approaches to value creation.