Determining the Competitiveness of Spa-Centers in Order to Achieve Sustainability Using a Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model

Miroslav Mijajlović, Adis Puška, Željko Stević, Dragan Marinković, Dragan Doljanica, Saša Virijević Jovanović, Ilija Stojanović and Jasminka Beširović
Additional contact information
Miroslav Mijajlović: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Niš, A. Medvedeva 14, 18000 Niš, Serbia
Adis Puška: Government of Brčko district B&H, Bulevara mira 1, 76100 Brčko District, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Željko Stević: Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of East Sarajevo, Vojvode Mišića 52, 74000 Doboj, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dragan Marinković: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Traffic Systems, TU Berlin, Str. d. 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Dragan Doljanica: MEF Faculty of Applied Management, Economics and Finance, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, Jevrejska 24, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Saša Virijević Jovanović: MEF Faculty of Applied Management, Economics and Finance, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, Jevrejska 24, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Ilija Stojanović: College of Business Studies, Al Ghurair University, Dubai International Academic City PO Box 37374, UAE
Jasminka Beširović: Government of Brčko district B&H, Bulevara mira 1, 76100 Brčko District, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) possess many natural resources that can be exploited for the development of medical tourism. The offer of medical tourism in B&H is focused on spa tourism. B&H has 16 registered spa-centers offering different types of services. This study provides a complete overview of the assessment of the current state of spa-centres using expert decision-making and methods of multi-criteria analysis. An innovative and novel MCDM model based on integration of the FUCOM (full consistency method) and fuzzy MARCOS (Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to COmpromise Solution) methods was used. The model consists of 16 alternatives and eight sustainable criteria. The results of this research have shown that the spa-centers of Ilidža near Sarajevo, Fojnica and Vrućica have the best assessments of the current situation and prerequisites for sustainable business. These spa-centers should be a benchmark to other spas providing direction on how to improve their business to be more sustainable and competitive in the market. These results were confirmed by a sensitivity analysis with two approaches used. The first approach was to compare the results obtained by the fuzzy MARCOS method with other fuzzy methods, and the second approach was to examine the influence of the application of different weights on the final ranking of the spa. The results of this study can serve spa-canter managers to understand the position of their spa-centers in order to exploit advantages they have and eliminate the shortcomings to improve their business.

Keywords: spa-centers; Bosnia and Herzegovina; sustainable tourism; FUCOM method; fuzzy MARCOS method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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