Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries
This study examines attitudes toward achieving a sustainable balance in ecotourism using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, focusing on economic and environmental factors shaping sustainable practices. Data were collected from tourists, local residents, and managers in Serbia and Croatia, e...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Tamara Gajić Dragan Vukolić Ana Spasojević Ivana Blešić Marko D. Petrović Jovan Bugarčić Marina Bugarčić Bojana D. Drašković Milovan Milivojević |
| author_facet | Tamara Gajić Dragan Vukolić Ana Spasojević Ivana Blešić Marko D. Petrović Jovan Bugarčić Marina Bugarčić Bojana D. Drašković Milovan Milivojević |
| author_sort | Tamara Gajić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines attitudes toward achieving a sustainable balance in ecotourism using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, focusing on economic and environmental factors shaping sustainable practices. Data were collected from tourists, local residents, and managers in Serbia and Croatia, encompassing diverse perspectives on natural resource conservation, economic benefits, and community engagement. The results indicate that natural resource conservation significantly contributes to local participation, tourist awareness, and community engagement, with notable differences observed among respondent groups. Economic benefits also positively influence these mediating factors, emphasizing their role in achieving sustainability goals. The MGA revealed significant differences between respondent groups, highlighting that managers and local communities in Croatia demonstrated higher levels of awareness and participation compared to Serbia, while differences among tourists were less pronounced. This research contributes to the sustainable tourism literature by integrating perspectives from various stakeholder groups and emphasizing the importance of community involvement and environmental preservation. Practical implications include recommendations for policymakers and managers to develop strategies that encourage stakeholder participation and promote sustainable tourism development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ec925e6864b648e394fc2507e5a25c01 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj-art-ec925e6864b648e394fc2507e5a25c012025-08-20T02:03:28ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-02-0114239510.3390/land14020395Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU CountriesTamara Gajić0Dragan Vukolić1Ana Spasojević2Ivana Blešić3Marko D. Petrović4Jovan Bugarčić5Marina Bugarčić6Bojana D. Drašković7Milovan Milivojević8Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, University of Business Studies, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFaculty of Economics, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaFaculty of Sciences, Department for Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaGeographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Hotel and Tourism, University of Kragujevac, 36210 Vrnjačka Banja, SerbiaFaculty of Civil Engineering, University Union—Nikola Tesla, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Civil Engineering, University Union—Nikola Tesla, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaGeographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, SerbiaThis study examines attitudes toward achieving a sustainable balance in ecotourism using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, focusing on economic and environmental factors shaping sustainable practices. Data were collected from tourists, local residents, and managers in Serbia and Croatia, encompassing diverse perspectives on natural resource conservation, economic benefits, and community engagement. The results indicate that natural resource conservation significantly contributes to local participation, tourist awareness, and community engagement, with notable differences observed among respondent groups. Economic benefits also positively influence these mediating factors, emphasizing their role in achieving sustainability goals. The MGA revealed significant differences between respondent groups, highlighting that managers and local communities in Croatia demonstrated higher levels of awareness and participation compared to Serbia, while differences among tourists were less pronounced. This research contributes to the sustainable tourism literature by integrating perspectives from various stakeholder groups and emphasizing the importance of community involvement and environmental preservation. Practical implications include recommendations for policymakers and managers to develop strategies that encourage stakeholder participation and promote sustainable tourism development.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/395ecotourismsustainable developmentnature conservationeconomic benefitscommunity engagement |
| spellingShingle | Tamara Gajić Dragan Vukolić Ana Spasojević Ivana Blešić Marko D. Petrović Jovan Bugarčić Marina Bugarčić Bojana D. Drašković Milovan Milivojević Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries Land ecotourism sustainable development nature conservation economic benefits community engagement |
| title | Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries |
| title_full | Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries |
| title_short | Exploring Attitudes on the Sustainable Balance Between Nature Conservation and Economic Development Through Ecotourism—Lessons from EU and Non-EU Countries |
| title_sort | exploring attitudes on the sustainable balance between nature conservation and economic development through ecotourism lessons from eu and non eu countries |
| topic | ecotourism sustainable development nature conservation economic benefits community engagement |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/395 |
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