Towards a new local tourism economy: Understanding sense of community, social impacts and potential enterprise opportunities in Podgrađe Bač, Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

Serbia's Vojvodina Region has been discussed in recent research as a region with much tourism potential. Numerous studies have assessed different tourism opportunities in Vojvodina, but there is a need to understand how local residents perceive tourism to address how they see their destination developing. This paper focuses on the rural community of Podgrađe Bač. The community is directly adjacent is the Bač Fortress, which is currently under review with UNESCO to be recognised (and protected) as a World Heritage Site. There is a need to consider how social impacts and social change are about altering peoples' outlook and attitude, as well as gaining support to encourage cohesive involvement among members of the community. Data were collected for this study through a Likert Scale survey with associated open-ended questions. Given the micro-locale case study focus, 29 surveys were collected from one participant in each household. The results and analysis are based on understanding sense of community in Podgrađe Bač, assessing the attractiveness of Bač Fortress and subsequent local tourism developments, and assessing resident perceptions of tourism, by considering social impacts, enterprise opportunities, and overall potential.

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