Show cave websites in Serbia: Evaluation and potential improvements

Show caves and speleotourism can have a major impact on the tourism industry as well as the local and regional economic development. Promotion is a crucial aspect of generating plans and strategies for tourist caves. In the case of speleotourism, promotion needs to be professional, attractive and continuous because caves are often considered to be dangerous and inaccessible places. The main goal of this paper is to determine the quality of official show cave websites in Serbia. The assessment included the application of modified Website evaluation model. Website design techniques were also assessed, including the performance and the degree of optimization for search engines SEO. The results show extreme deficiencies and weaknesses regarding the level of internet promotion of Serbian show (tourist) caves. These results are of great importance for cave management teams and tourist organizations because they point out the negative factors of cave promotion in Serbia that need to be revised.

Cultural intelligence and heritage impact on choosing foreign tourist destination

Due to the process of globalization, travel has become much more affordable, so tourists have the opportunity to visit foreign and even some exotic destinations. Market research helps travel agencies in formulating a marketing strategy, which should attract tourists and ensure their satisfaction, which ultimately enables the service provider to make a profit. The purpose and goal of the research is to determine whether cultural intelligence as a push-factor implying the desire of tourists to learn a foreign language, and get to know other cultures and their value systems and cultural heritage as a pull-factor implying touring buildings, and cultural monuments of other countries, influence the choice of foreign tourist destinations. Furthermore, the research examines whether the influence of these variables from the aspect of a demographic characteristic of age is more pronounced in respondents belong to generation Z compared to the generation X respondents. The sample includes 208 respondents from the Republic of Serbia. After statistical processing of the data, the obtained results show that variables have a statistically significant positive impact on the choice of foreign tourist destinations, and that their impact is more pronounced in generation Z respondents compared to those of generation X, so the research provides useful information to marketers and travel agencies.

Loyalty program value: Give me more or treat me better?

Customer loyalty programs are frequently used by companies to establish and improve relationships with customers by providing them with rewards. Loyalty programs investigated in the literature focus mainly on tangible rewards and economic benefits offered to the customers. However, some research done on intangible rewards of loyalty programs suggest that they can be superior to tangible benefits in affecting customer loyalty. Previous research drew conclusions in industry-specific settings. The aim of the paper is to assess the impact of tangible and intangible benefits on customer loyalty using an on-line customer panel representing different industries. The data collected from over 300 customers is subjected to CFA/SEM analysis in R environment. The main contribution of the present study is that it represents the first attempt (to the best of authors" knowledge) to capture loyalty programs" tangible and intangible value in an Arab cultural context, given the fact the focus was on the participants from the United Arab Emirates. Several important dimensions of LP programs in an Arab country are revealed. Firstly, the study confirmed that social value of a loyalty program significantly impacts customer loyalty. In addition, it was confirmed that the flexibility of a loyalty program increased customer loyalty. Ultimately, it was established that customers value intangible benefits more than the tangible ones.

How do residents assess the social impact of tourism?

Tourism plays an important role in the economic and cultural development of society, producing many positive and negative effects. This study aimed to (a) assess the impact of tourism on modern life in Montenegro based on the attitudes of residents and (b) standardize instrument (questionnaire) for assessing these impacts. The sample formed by 521 adults from three different tourist regions (coastal, continental, mountainous). The questionnaire has high validity and reliability. Two components (two independent scales) have been extracted - the negative and positive social impact of tourism. It was found that the increase in positive impacts is followed by an increase in negative effects too. Type of the region, level of municipal development and engagement of respondents in tourism influence significantly the differences between attitudes of examinees. Those who live by tourism most respect its importance for local development.

Recreational swimming as a physical aspect of wellness and its impact on health tourism

Changes in Fitness index values, monitored by the Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (UKK) Walking test, were examined in this study due to its practical application in the assessment of aerobic capacity, especially after planned wellness activities of moderate intensity. This research is designed as a quasi-experimental uncontrolled before and after study, and according to it, Fitness index values obtained by the UKK test and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated before and after 8 weeks of planned wellness activities (recreational swimming). After the wellness activity, the average Fitness index value was increased by 1.13% (the difference was statistically significant with p = 0.000) while BMI value was significantly decreased by 1.82% (p = 0.000). Considering our results, the Fitness index could have practical importance for the assessment of endurance performance in man. That means that Fitness index can be used for estimating aerobic capacity and effect of wellness on health improvement and disease prevention.

The impact of COVID-19 on the hotel supply chain management

The COVID-19 virus pandemic appeared to be a low-probability, high-impact event that has caused significant disruptions in supply chains worldwide. The hotel industry has been one of the most severely affected, with all participants in the supply chain suffering from the crisis. This paper aims to analyze if, and to what extent, hotels in the Republic of Serbia have faced difficulties in supply chain management (SCM) due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, with special reference to the difficulties in introducing information and communications technologies (ICTs) for SCM. Empirical research was conducted in May, 2021 involving managers from 40 hotel companies categorised as 4-and 5-star. The study results reveal that majority of hotel companies have experienced difficulties in SCM and implementation of ICTs for SCM due to the pandemic, while the intensity of difficulties is not found to be correlated with hotel size, category and affiliation.

Authenticity of gastronomic events as a function of branding a destination

The promotion of authentic food and beverages in Vojvodina is most commonly carried out in gastronomic events. Vojvodina is rich in gastronomic products coming from the households of different nations that inhabit its territory. Gastronomic events with their authenticity can contribute to the creation of the destination brand. The aim of the present study is to explore the authenticity of gastronomic events, which could contribute to a better promotion of Vojvodina and the creation of a recognizable brand of this tourist destination. The research was conducted through the method of survey, using a questionnaire on a sample of 150 respondents. Using statistical methods of binary logistic regression, Chi - square and Fisher's test, the analysis was performed and the results were presented. The findings of the research indicate that the authenticity of gastronomic events is recognized by the tourists; however, this should be better utilized in destination branding, as this feature could be the key in attracting tourists.

How Millennials and Generation Z organise travel during the COVID-19 pandemic

The subject of the paper is the consumer behaviour of Millennials and Generation Z as travellers in organising their travel. Through empirical research, conducted with online questionnaire in May 2021, the paper focuses on the way the above-mentioned generations in Serbia have organized travel (through a travel agency or on their own) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the choice of accommodation during the pandemic, and the respondents' opinions on travel with COVID-19 passports. The aim of this paper is to discover the preferences and opinions of travellers when organizing travel under the new circumstances, as well as examining whether there are differences in the behaviour of Millennials and Generation Z as travellers before and during the pandemic, in order to provide significant information for the marketing decision making of tourism and hospitality organisations. Almost a quarter of the world's population is made up of Millennials, who, along with Generation Z, make up the current and future force that contributes the most to the income generation. Members of this population in Serbia are less and less opting for the services of travel agencies, especially during the pandemic, while the number of passengers of these generations who organize self-directed travel is on the increase. Quantitative statistical methods-descriptive statistics (frequency distribution) and comparative statistics (Pearson ch2-test) were used for analysis of the obtained research results.

Profitability analysis of hotel companies in the Republic of Serbia

The purpose of the research is to examine the level and trends of profitability ratios of hotel companies operating in the Republic of Serbia in the period from 2016 to 2019. The research was conducted on a sample of 100 hotel companies, where profitability was measured by the operating profit rate, the net profit rate, the rate of return on total assets and the rate of return on equity. The results of the research show that the values of the used profitability indicators have increased in 2017 compared to 2016, but decreased in 2018 and 2019. Statistical analysis found that changes in the operating profit rate and net profit rate during the observed four-year period were not statistically significant, while the decline in the value of the rate of return on total assets in 2018 compared to 2017 and the decline in the rate of return on equity in 2018 compared to 2017 and in 2019 compared to 2018 was statistically significant. The results of the research can be important for (1) the management of a company, (2) its owners, because they enable gaining an insight into the level of profitability of entrusted companies, i.e. the companies that are in the ownership, and (3) investors and creators of tourism development policy.

Critical success factors for new dishes in gastronomic offer of Belgrade restaurants

The subject of the research of this paper is the success of new dishes in the gastronomic offer of Belgrade restaurants, presented through critical success factors (CSFs) that can influence it. The aim was to analyze CSFs of new dishes in mentioned restaurants. The initial assumption was that the success of new dishes depends on various factors, which resulted in developing a general research question: What factors are important for the success of new dishes in the gastronomic offer of a restaurant? To achieve a high level standards in the restaurant industry and boost competitiveness, businesses have to keep up with modern trends and introduce innovative business approaches. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: managers" profile, the restaurant profile and CSFs. The managers of Belgrade restaurants (N=64) were asked to rank ten different CSFs using the Likert scale. According to their opinions, seven CSFs were found to be very important for the success of new dishes.