Rural Tourism as a Factor of Rural Revitalization and Sustainability in the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Milka Bubalo Živković (), Bojan Đerčan, Predrag Mlinarević, Marija Cimbaljević, Zorica Pogrmić, Tamara Lukić, Bojana Kalenjuk Pivarski, Goran Balotić, Dejan Pljuco, Milan Lalić and Nikola Lopatić
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Milka Bubalo Živković: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Bojan Đerčan: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Predrag Mlinarević: Faculty of Economics, University of East Sarajevo, Alekse Šantića 3, 71420 Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Marija Cimbaljević: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Zorica Pogrmić: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tamara Lukić: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Bojana Kalenjuk Pivarski: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Goran Balotić: Faculty of Economics, University of East Sarajevo, Alekse Šantića 3, 71420 Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dejan Pljuco: Faculty of Economics, University of East Sarajevo, Alekse Šantića 3, 71420 Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Milan Lalić: Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Nikola Lopatić: Faculty of Economics, University of East Sarajevo, Alekse Šantića 3, 71420 Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: Due to negative natural changes in the population and intense emigration over the past three decades, from the end of the 20th century, the Republic of Serbia (RS) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have faced a demographic decline of villages. Even villages closer to larger cities struggle with natural population decrease. Agriculture has an increasingly smaller impact on rural sustainability. Rural tourism is one of the activities that can save villages. The aim of this study is to, using a comparative analysis of the attitudes of the citizens of the two aforementioned countries, determine their familiarity with rural tourism and available development support funds, their interest in engaging in rural tourism as an additional or primary activity, and their satisfaction with the involvement of the local community in providing education for rural tourism. To obtain a response, we carried out interviews with 12 respondents from RS and 12 from BiH. The research instrument was the semi-structured in-depth interview. The respondents from BiH are more determined and more engaged in rural tourism than in RS. They are aware of how important rural tourism is for villages, since that is their only option for recovery and sustainability. The respondents from both countries agree that they need the support of the local administration to develop rural tourism. This kind of tourism also requires the demographic improvement of villages, since, without human resources, it is more difficult for the majority of the older population to engage more intensely in rural tourism.

Keywords: rural tourism; revitalization; local development; Serbia; Bosnia and Herzegovina (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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