114
M. D. Petrovi´ c et al.
et al. 2014; Tribe 2015) highlighted that tourism has strong constructive impacts on
peoples’ income, employment, and living standard. Contradictory, these advantages
are frequently the main consequences for countless concerns (poverty increasing,
gambling, higher crime rate, etc.), with tendencies of traditional culture destruction
and changes in the beliefs, behaviour, and customs of the native people (Nunkoo and
Ramkisson 2011), together with the possibility of acculturation (Weaver and Lawton
2001). Still, tourism activities significantly improve possibilities for building cultural
and sports facilities (Yu et al. 2011), and moreover, Aref et al. (2010) stated that the
cohesion between visitors and locals could lead to progressive changes for both sides.
Speaking about the environment and its connection with tourism development,
several studies (Var and Kim 1989; Andereck and Vogt 2000; Brankov et al. 2015;
´
Curˇ ci´ c et al. 2019) presented countless negative cases of tourism-indicated devastation of natural resources, pollution, the devastation of cultural heritage and similar
problems. On the other hand, Jewell et al. (2004) stressed the importance of tourism’s
role in contemporary natural conservation, but underlined that tourism’s progress
should not be forced or opposed to local communities’ aspirations, and that the residents are those who need to decide whether or not they want tourism as a development
tool for their region.
On the other hand, the partnership between tourism planners and local communities have a potential not only to generate social capital and develop more sustainable forms of tourism and new tourism products (Kernel 2005), but also to bring
financial benefits to the involved stakeholders (Derek et al. 2006) and economically
improve living standards in less advantaged areas (Demirovi´ c and Petrovi´ c 2020).
The latest report of OECD Tourism Trends and Policies (OECD 2018) emphasized
that in order for the travel industry to be prepared for the impact of megatrends
(e.g. sustainable tourism growth, enabling technologies, travel mobility, evolving
visitor demand, etc.), tourism needs to encourage partnership with other industries,
governments, and local communities. Some of these partnerships are the Global
Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, managed by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In 2015, 85
partners in seven regions, transitioned into the Sustainable Tourism Programme of
the 10-Year Framework. As a result of this collaboration, regional analysis of sustainable tourism and research studies has been conducted, several events have been organized (conferences, seminars, workshops), and a global consultant database has been
made. While tourism cannot be used as an instrument for answering the majority of
sustainable development challenges, it has the potential to provide the clarification
for a rural community’s welfare, environmental sustainability and poverty reduction (Demirovi´ c and Petrovi´ c 2020), and by creating a global partnership, to make
an impact on the neglected communities’ empowerment and development. In this
respect, Rogerson and Visser (2004) and Petrovi´ c (2019) claimed that progressive
tourism demand could be a useful social policy tool in providing job opportunities and additional economic advantages for less-advantaged areas and especially in
developing societies. Hence, it is relevant to mention that the UNWTO’s platform
of Tourism for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pointed out that the historic
agreement among world leaders was committed by all the member states. The aim was
M. D. Petrovi´ c et al.
et al. 2014; Tribe 2015) highlighted that tourism has strong constructive impacts on
peoples’ income, employment, and living standard. Contradictory, these advantages
are frequently the main consequences for countless concerns (poverty increasing,
gambling, higher crime rate, etc.), with tendencies of traditional culture destruction
and changes in the beliefs, behaviour, and customs of the native people (Nunkoo and
Ramkisson 2011), together with the possibility of acculturation (Weaver and Lawton
2001). Still, tourism activities significantly improve possibilities for building cultural
and sports facilities (Yu et al. 2011), and moreover, Aref et al. (2010) stated that the
cohesion between visitors and locals could lead to progressive changes for both sides.
Speaking about the environment and its connection with tourism development,
several studies (Var and Kim 1989; Andereck and Vogt 2000; Brankov et al. 2015;
´
Curˇ ci´ c et al. 2019) presented countless negative cases of tourism-indicated devastation of natural resources, pollution, the devastation of cultural heritage and similar
problems. On the other hand, Jewell et al. (2004) stressed the importance of tourism’s
role in contemporary natural conservation, but underlined that tourism’s progress
should not be forced or opposed to local communities’ aspirations, and that the residents are those who need to decide whether or not they want tourism as a development
tool for their region.
On the other hand, the partnership between tourism planners and local communities have a potential not only to generate social capital and develop more sustainable forms of tourism and new tourism products (Kernel 2005), but also to bring
financial benefits to the involved stakeholders (Derek et al. 2006) and economically
improve living standards in less advantaged areas (Demirovi´ c and Petrovi´ c 2020).
The latest report of OECD Tourism Trends and Policies (OECD 2018) emphasized
that in order for the travel industry to be prepared for the impact of megatrends
(e.g. sustainable tourism growth, enabling technologies, travel mobility, evolving
visitor demand, etc.), tourism needs to encourage partnership with other industries,
governments, and local communities. Some of these partnerships are the Global
Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, managed by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In 2015, 85
partners in seven regions, transitioned into the Sustainable Tourism Programme of
the 10-Year Framework. As a result of this collaboration, regional analysis of sustainable tourism and research studies has been conducted, several events have been organized (conferences, seminars, workshops), and a global consultant database has been
made. While tourism cannot be used as an instrument for answering the majority of
sustainable development challenges, it has the potential to provide the clarification
for a rural community’s welfare, environmental sustainability and poverty reduction (Demirovi´ c and Petrovi´ c 2020), and by creating a global partnership, to make
an impact on the neglected communities’ empowerment and development. In this
respect, Rogerson and Visser (2004) and Petrovi´ c (2019) claimed that progressive
tourism demand could be a useful social policy tool in providing job opportunities and additional economic advantages for less-advantaged areas and especially in
developing societies. Hence, it is relevant to mention that the UNWTO’s platform
of Tourism for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pointed out that the historic
agreement among world leaders was committed by all the member states. The aim was