FUZZY LOGIC AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS IN THE CONTEXT OF TOURISM ANALYSIS

Qualitative and quantitative approaches to multicriteria evaluation and managerial decision- making often ignore the specifics of the role of the human factor. This article summarizes management methods that reflect not only numerical inputs but also data of a qualitative nature while considering their applicability in the tourism sector. Some of them can be assorted within the classes of Artificial intelligence. The focus is on the fuzzy approach at the theoretical and application level. The fuzzy approach is used to evaluate the degree of country travel and tourism competitiveness of selected European and Asian countries based on subjective rankings from the viewpoint of travelling persons. The results indicate that among countries under review, China is ranked as a highly competitive country in travel & tourism. Conditional competitive countries in terms of travel & tourism are the Czech Republic, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkey.

THE USE OF GEOLOCATION FOR COMPETITION ANALYSIS OF DESTINATIONS: APPLICATION TO THE HOTEL SUPPLY IN BARCELONA

Geolocalization and the use of geographic information systems (GIS) have become fundamental tools in many disciplines because they can link databases and view the geographic information provided by these databases. Within the hotel context, geolocation and GIS can be used as tools that from a management perspective facilitate the evaluation of the competitive level existing in a tourist destination and from a consumer point of view facilitate their choice. This chapter tries to show the usefulness of geolocation through its application in the evaluation of the hotel supply in Barcelona (Spain).

ASSESSMENT OF THE VALUE OF PROTECTED AREAS IN SERBIA, ON THE EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION OF PA-BAT METHOD AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

This chapter discusses the importance of evaluating ecosystem services by showcasing the Protected Areas Benefit Assessment Tool (PA-BAT), which has been applied in seven Dinaric Arc countries, and has gathered information on a range of values and benefits that protected areas provide. The PA-BAT results presented here include data for protected areas in Serbia (national parks Tara, Djerdap, Fruška gora and Kopaonik, Landscape of exceptional features of Vlasina and Special Nature Reserve of the Upper Danube) and economic assessment of 22 protected area values with special reference to tourism and recreation. This chapter gives a brief overview of other analyzes and initiatives for assessing the value of ecosystem services related to protected areas in Serbia. This chapter aims to contribute to a better understanding and promotion of the concept of ecosystem services in tourism and other sectors using PA-BAT and other methods of evaluation of protected area services.

HOUSEHOLD LOGISTICS IN TOURISM SUPPLY CHAIN

The tourism supply chain (TSC) consists of different participants: suppliers, tour operators and customers; in TSC, numerous physical and information flows to end customers are realized. Efficient realization of flows is enabled by logistics systems and technologies. In this way, logistics contribute to the competitiveness of tourism products. TSC participants can be trade, production, catering, logistics companies, travel agencies, but also households, primarily in rural areas. Households can play a role at all levels of TSC (suppliers of goods, materials and services, tour operators, travel agencies, end customers) and in various forms of tourism, but they play the most important role in rural and agritourism. Logistics is important in the optimization of logistics flows of households in TSC, having in mind imperatives of quality of goods, services, or complete tourism products that they can supply customers with. Therefore, in this paper, the role, significance and basic characteristics of subsystems of household logistics in TSC are analyzed.

GASTRONOMY TOURISM AND DESTINATION BRANDING: THE STUDY OF MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS IN CROATIA

This paper explores the role of Michelin-starred restaurants and their chefs as change-makers and advocates of successful gastronomy tourism destination branding in Croatia. In this qualitative research, in-depth surveys were conducted with all of the seven chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants in Croatia. These restaurants are: Draga di Lovrana, Boškinac, Monte, Pelegrini, LD Restaurant and 360° located in Zagreb, Lovran, Novalja, Rovinj, Šibenik, Korčula and Dubrovnik. Results of research uncover whether and which are the significant forms of activities that Croatian Michelin-starred restaurants implement in order to enhance destination attractiveness and by that influence placing Croatia on the world gastronomy map, creating stronger gastronomy destination brands.

THE EFFECT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCES ON EARNINGS QUALITY OF SERBIAN HOTELS

This study examines the effect of financial performances on earnings quality using a sample of Serbian hotels during the period 2015-2019. First, the authors build a multidimensional measure of earnings quality including attributes as the hotel’s going concerned, size, current liquidity, age, profitability, and leverage. Second, the authors examine variables that are potentially associated with earnings quality. The methodology includes descriptive statistics, univariate test, correlation matrix for the variables, multivariate regression, F-test. This paper presents managerial implications for professionals, users of financial statements, and academics.

MOBILE APPS AS A TOOL FOR DESTINATION MANAGEMENT – CASE STUDY OF BELGRADE

Mobile applications, as a very dynamic segment of modern ICT (Information and Communication Technology), are in widespread use in tourism. Tourist destinations are increasingly using mobile applications to manage the development of a destination product, that is, the applications themselves are seen as an important part of the destination product and the overall tourists’ experience. This paper focuses on mobile applications and their use in destination management and the achievement of overall tourist satisfaction. Special attention is paid to the use of mobile applications in the management of tourism development in Belgrade as well as the impact of mobile applications on tourists’ experience of Belgrade as a tourist destination.

ARE SOCIAL NETWORK WEBSITES EFFECTIVE TOOLS FOR RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION IN TOURISM SECTOR? AN EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY

This chapter is aimed at obtaining empirical data with regard to the research question, how both recruiters and job seekers take advantage of the integration of social network websites and recruitment & selection processes. Two major social network websites, LinkedIn and Facebook, have been examined due to the fact that they are mostly being used by human resources professionals and job seekers. Qualitative content analyses have been carried out by collecting data via in-depth and focus group interviews with recruiters of a holding that also operates in the tourism sector and with job seekers looking for a job in this sector. It has been observed that the purpose of job seekers’ usage of social network websites is to build networks, connections and reach new job opportunities. Likewise, businesses also aim to reach and attract candidates and communicate at the beginning of the recruitment process.

PECULIARITIES OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROCESS IN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS - RESEARCH RESULTS

Service organizations have, over the years, been constantly faced with increasing customer demand, growing competition, digitalization, and numerous changes in the business environment to which they must adapt in order to survive in the marketplace. As the main specificity of service organizations is reflected in the “intangibility” of their services, for customers who are participants in the service process and for employees who directly depend on the quality of service, service process and customer satisfaction, defining appropriate activities of Human Resources Management process, which manages employees, undoubtedly represents a priority that provides a competitive advantage. This paper will present the results of the research on the characteristics of eight selected sub-processes in the process of Human Resource Management in service versus production organizations of Rasina district, in order to define their specifics and point out their advantages and disadvantages.

TOURISM ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE DANUBE SHORE (CLISURA DUNĂRII) – POTENTIAL AND PROSPECTS

Tourism is a global industry that brings considerable revenue to all states that know how to manage it. This chapter highlights aspects related to entrepreneurship in tourism along the Danube Shore (Clisura Dunării), a touristic area of extreme natural beauty, along with anthropogenic sights, a zone that can become a development engine for the region, by capitalizing on local resources and engaging related industries. The first part of the work presents the current state of knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship and, in particular, of entrepreneurship in tourism, in order to later describe the Danube Shore and the most representative touristic sites for this area. The chapter also presents aspects related to the analysis of the correlations between the GDP of Caraş-Severin County and the number of overnight stays, as well as the results of a study on the touristic potential of the Danube Shore, a study conducted through a survey based on a questionnaire.