Tourism as an Approach to Sustainable Rural Development in Post-Socialist Countries: A Comparative Study of Serbia and Slovenia

Marko D. Petrović, Aleksandra Vujko, Tamara Gajić, Darko Vuković (), Milan Radovanović, Jasmina M. Jovanović and Natalia Vuković
Additional contact information
Marko D. Petrović: Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, Djure Jakšića 9, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Aleksandra Vujko: Novi Sad Business School, Vladimira Perića Valtera 4, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tamara Gajić: Novi Sad Business School, Vladimira Perića Valtera 4, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Milan Radovanović: Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA, Djure Jakšića 9, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Jasmina M. Jovanović: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 3/III, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Natalia Vuković: Graduate School of Economics and Management, The Ural Federal University Named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, 19 Mira St., Yekaterinburg 620002, Russia

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: The research deals with the sustainable development of the Serbian and Slovenian countryside, under the influence of tourism progress. The article identifies the main rural tourism competitiveness in Serbia and Slovenia, as one of the essential factors of rural development in both countries, analyzing the main contributions and making a series of proposals to guide the future research agenda. The aim of the paper is to clarify around one obviously defined objective—to point out the competitiveness of sustainable rural tourism in typical post-socialist settings. The data for this study were collected using the Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness to observe Serbian and Slovenian competitiveness in tourism. Determinants were assessed using a survey evaluating four demanding factors and 20 supporting factors, based upon a five-point Likert Scale. The results indicated that the friendliness of residents towards visitors, easy communication between them, together with quality of infrastructure and health facilities show the highest level of statistical correlation. These are the main propositions to start an initiative for the authorities in local communities to actively participate in sustainable rural development. The findings provide tourism stakeholders with relevant respondents’ perceptions pertaining to the tourism development in non-urban areas.

Keywords: countryside’s development; sustainable tourism; competitiveness; transitional societies; rural economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2017:i:1:p:54-:d:124608

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