The Assessment of Carrying Capacity – A Crucial T ool for M anaging T ourism E ffects in T ourist D estinations

It is beyond doubt that the theory of tourism lags behind tourism practice. In order to decrease such a gap, theoretical work in tourism has been intensified over the last two decades. The key problems of research include: analysis, interpretation, and management of heterogeneous effects of tourism development, permeating different aspects of human life and work – from the global to the local level. This paper discusses the role, significance, and the ways of estimation and interpretation of the concept of carrying capacity within the conceptual framework of contemporary tourism. The paper also analyses various attitudes and conflicting opinions as to this, still much debated, concept. In the end, some crucial concluding remarks are presented that could alleviate the application of the concept of carrying capacity in practice, assuming its important role in planning tourist destination development and management of various tourism impacts

The assessment of carrying capacity: A crucial tool for managing tourism effects in tourist destinations

It is beyond doubt that the theory of tourism lags behind tourism practice. In order to decrease such a gap, theoretical work in tourism has been intensified over the last two decades. The key problems of research include: analysis, interpretation, and management of heterogeneous effects of tourism development, permeating different aspects of human life and work - from the global to the local level. This paper discusses the role, significance, and the ways of estimation and interpretation of the concept of carrying capacity within the conceptual framework of contemporary tourism. The paper also analyses various attitudes and conflicting opinions as to this, still much debated, concept. In the end, some crucial concluding remarks are presented that could alleviate the application of the concept of carrying capacity in practice, assuming its important role in planning tourist destination development and management of various tourism impacts

Economic impact of cruise tourism along the pan-European corridor VII

This paper provides some tentative estimates of the economic impact of cruise tourism in receptive countries and regions along the Pan-European Corridor VII. Examples are provided to illustrate the potential benefit to Vojvodina Region (Case study). The results of the analysis have shown that the Corridor VII cruises have positive impact on Vojvodina Province, primarily the riparian area of the Danube (only Novi Sad - the "Port of Vojvodina for cruisers"). Although the benefits exclude accommodation and food expenditure, they are noticeable within the following segments: tourism promotion (broadening the scopes of Vojvodina Province as a receptive area for the foreign market through its cultural heritage and natural values); increase in foreign tourist turnover, visitor's expenditures; new job opportunities (adequate infrastructure and superstructure rendering services to ships, crew and passengers) - harbors, carriers, souvenir shops, etc. / new products, business net, exchange money, invisible export, etc. The results of the research may initiate further studies on the cause and effect connections between this type of travelling and resources of receptive countries, upon which the travels are based, both aiming at adequate design and launching of the tourist offer, i.e. the optimal development of receptive countries through sustainable tourism. Also, the discussion provides potentially useful information to the different stakeholders in the evolving cruise tourism industry, particularly regarding expected (private or social) returns on investment

Assessment of effectiveness gait menagement with complex physical treatment in rehabilitation after stroke

Uvod: Uspostavljanje i poboljšanje funkcije hoda predstavlja jedan od glavnih ciljeva rehabilitacije bolesnika posle moždanog udara. Osposobljavanje za hod je osnov za postizanje nezavisnosti kako u aktivnostima samozbrinjavanja i dnevnog života, tako i za socijalnu reintegraciju ovih osoba. Savremeni pristup u rehabilitaciji hoda bolesnika posle MU može predstavljati primenu jednog ili češće kombinaciju više različitih terapijskih modaliteta. Konvencionalne i neurofacilitatorne tehnike se sve više kombinuju sa tehanikama koje podrazumevaju primenu intenzivnog, na motorni zadatak orjentisanog pokreta sa mogućnošću velikog broja ponavljanja tokom treninga. Noviji terapijski pristupi u rehabilitaciji bolesnika posle MU zasnivaju se na rezultatima dobijenim eksperimentalnim istraživanjima koje dovode u vezu oporavak funkcije sa konceptom motornog učenja i adaptivnog plasticiteta mozga. Poslednjih godina je pokazano da je terapija uspešna ako omogućuje treniranje pokreta, u ovom slučaju hoda, pri kome su sekvence hoda slične sekvencama karakterističnim za hod osoba bez motornih deficita. Da bi se omogućilo vežbanje, razvijeni su sistemi koji omogućuju kontrolu balansa i delimično rasterećenje pri hodu. Sistem koji je dostupan za terapijski rad se zove Walkaround, i omogućuje kretanje bez potrebe za dodatnim pomagalima (razboj, štapovi, fizička podrška terapeuta). Walkaround je električno vođeno pomagalo pri kome je pacijentu osigurano da ne može da padne, a postoji i pojas koji održava gornji deo tela u položaju pogodnom za vežbanje hodanja različitim brzinama. Cilj rada je da se istraži i pokaže neposredni i dugoročni uticaj složenog fizikalnog tretmana, koji uključuje primenu funkcionalne električne terapije (FET) i posturalne podrške telu (Walkaround), na funkcionalno stanje hoda bolesnika posle moždanog udara. Pacijenti i metod: Istraživanjem su praćeni bolesnici koji su bili na ambulantnom i intrahospitalnom rehabilitacionom tretmanu. Istreživanje je sprovedeno na Klinici za rehabilitaciju "Dr Miroslav Zotović" u Beogradu u saradnji sa Elektrotehničkim fakultetom Univerziteta u Beogradu...Background: Establishing and improving function of gait is one of the most important goals in rehabilitation of patients after stroke. Enabling for walking is basic for achieving independency in activities of daily living and self-management as well as in social reintegration of those patients. Modern approach in rehabilitation of gait in patients after stroke can be one or more often combination of several different therapeutic modalities. Conventional and neurofacilitation techniques are often combined with techniques of intensive motor-oriented moves with ability for large number of repeats during training. New therapeutic approaches in rehabilitation patients with stroke are based on results gathered through experimental researches that connect function recovery with concept of motor learning and adaptive brain plasticity. In recent period, it was shown that the therapy is successful if it enables move, or gait, training, during which walking sequences are similar to those of healthy subjects. To enable training, systems with balance control and partial body weight support were developed. One of them, used for therapeutic work, is called Walkaround, and it enables moving without additional help (parallel bars, canes, and help of therapist). Walkaround is electric driven device where patient is secured from falling, and also there is a belt for upper body part to maintain position suitable for walk practicing in different speed. The aim of the work is to investigate short and long term impact of complex physical training, which includes functional electrical therapy (FET) and body postural support (Walkaround), to walking ability in patients after stroke. Patients and methods: In and out patients during rehabilitation treatments were included in this study. It took place at Clinic for rehabilitation „Dr Miroslav Zotović“ in Belgrade with support of Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade. Ninety adult subjects were included with dg of brain stroke. Two different.

APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES IN HOTEL BUSINESS

Tourism development, if not sustainable, could threat and affect the environment as an object of tourists’ interest. Accordingly, hotels as a type of tourism organizations within a destination, are trying to involve sustainable business activities in their operations in order to protect the environment. In hotels within developed countries, sustainable activities are already implemented in the business and they are in the balance with the environment. However, implementation of these activities within societies in transition, such as Serbia, is still in initial level, which is confirmed in this research. The subject of this paper is, therefore, oriented toward the business activities of hotels located within Kopaonik, popular destination of winter tourism and National Park of Serbia, and these activities are researched through the employees’ perspective of ecological, socio-cultural and economic principles of the hotel business. Methods used in the paper are: descriptive, comparative, statistical and the critical one. Also, a survey research was conducted for the purpose of the paper and it obtained a sample of 211 hotel employees. The research results explained the current state within the hotel business of Kopaonik related to activities focused on ecological, socio-cultural and economic principles of sustainable development. Also, results indicate the level of employees’ job satisfaction and the level of their job commitment in accordance with hotels’ involvement in sustainable practices. All researched constructs of the paper are interpreted as important aspects of Kopaonik’s sustainability on the tourist market

THE PERCEPTION OF UNETHICAL ISSUES IN SELECTED THAILAND TOURIST AREAS: MEASURING THE ATTITUDES OF FOREIGN TOURISM STUDENTS

The principal aim of the paper was to examine what kind of experience international exchange students, as future professionals in tourism industry, gained during their study at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism in Phuket, Thailand. Thus, the paper deals with how often they encountered the unethical issues in the tourism industry, and how these issues affect their perception of the image of Thailand as a tourist destination. The paper also explores how formal education in Tourism ethics affects the perception of Thailand tourism unethical practices, and as such, it is one of the first studies in this field. In addition, the paper intends to show if there is a relationship between formal education in Ethics in tourism and the respondents’ experience and perception of unethical issues. The results show that these unethical issues have the significant and very strong influence on tourism perception of Thailand with a special emphasis on exploitation of women and children in sex tourism. Also, the study indicates that respondents who have a formal education in Ethics were more aware and had a clearer picture of the negative effect of these unethical issues on the image of Thailand as a destination

KRSTARENJA PAN-EUROPSKIM KORIDOROM VII I NJIHOV EKONOMSKI ZNAČAJ NA RECEPTIVNE PROSTORE

This paper provides some tentative estimates of the economic impact of cruise tourism in receptive countries and regions along the Pan-European Corridor VII. Examples are provided to illustrate the potential benefit to Vojvodina Region (Case study). The results of the analysis have shown that the Corridor VII cruises have positive impact on Vojvodina Province, primarily the riparian area of the Danube (only Novi Sad - the “Port of Vojvodina for cruisers”). Although the benefits exclude accommodation and food expenditure, they are noticeable within the following segments: tourism promotion (broadening the scopes of Vojvodina Province as a receptive area for the foreign market through its cultural heritage and natural values); increase in foreign tourist turnover, visitor’s expenditures; new job opportunities (adequate infrastructure and superstructure – rendering services to ships, crew and passengers) – harbors, carriers, souvenir shops, etc. / new products, business net, exchange money, invisible export, etc. The results of the research may initiate further studies on the cause and effect connections between this type of travelling and resources of receptive countries, upon which the travels are based, both aiming at adequate design and launching of the tourist offer, i.e. the optimal development of receptive countries through sustainable tourism. Also, the discussion provides potentially useful information to the different stakeholders in the evolving cruise tourism industry, particularly regarding expected (private or social) returns on investment.Ovim radom su analizirana međunarodna turistička krstarenja Pan-europskim Koridorom VII, odnosno njihov utjecaj (potencijalne dobrobiti) na ekonomiju receptivnih prostora. Studijom slučaja (Vojvodina) dati su primjeri koji to ilustriraju. Rezultati analize pokazuju da kruzevi Koridorom VII utječu pozitivno na Vojvodinu, prvenstveno na priobalnu, podunavsku regiju i to u Novom Sadu (gdje brodovi pristaju). Iako se beneficije ne odnose na korištenje usluga smještaja i hrane na kopnu, dobrobit se ogleda u sljedećim segmentima: turistička promocija (širenje pozitivnog plasmana Vojvodine kao receptivnog prostora na inozemnom tržištu – predstavljanje kulturne baštine i prirodnih vrijednosti); porast inozemnog turističkog prometa, a samim tim i potrošnje posjetilaca; otvaranje novih radnih mjesta (adekvatna infrastruktura i suprastruktura – serviseri različitih usluga brodovima, posadi i putnicima) – pristaništa, špediteri, suvenir tržnice i dr. / novi proizvodi, širenje poslovne mreže, promjena valute, nevidljivi izvoz itd. Rezultati istraživanja mogu pomoći daljim proučavanjima uzročno-posljedičnih veza između ovakvog vida putovanja i resursa receptivnih zemalja na kojima se ova putovanja događaju, a sve u cilju adekvatnog osmišljavanja i plasmana turističke ponude, odnosno optimalnog razvoja receptivnih zemalja kroz održivi turizam. Rad pruža i informacije različitim partnerima („stakeholders“) uključenim u turističko privređivanje kruzeva, koji očekuju privatnu i društvenu dobit od svojih ulaganja

Contemporary problems in studying population of Vojvodina Province

This paper identifies nine contemporary problems that hamper the population research in Vojvodina Province (northern part of Republic of Serbia) at the beginning of the twenty-first century. These problems are: postponement of census to 2002, changes of the definition of permanent population, different definitions in available data of current statistics, changes of the definition of the urban settlement term, changes in the total number of settlements, decreased number of available data of current statistics, absence of the bulletin of current statistics, absence of population register and absence of regional institution for population studies. That implies that collected data in the censuses are often not comparable due to slight changes in methodology, changes in state borders

Destination competitivenes

The degree to which a country can benefit from its tourism industry depends largely on this competitive position on the international tourist market. Therefore, it is very important for one destination to realise its real competitive position on the tourism market as well as to address its weaknesses comparing them to its major competitors. There are different models for measuring the competitiveness. Among all, we follow the framework of authors Dwyer, Livaic and Mellor (2003), so called Integrated model of destination competitiveness. The aim of this paper is to present the model of destination competitiveness and results of the survey, based on indicators associated with the model. The results showed that Serbia is more competitive in its natural, cultural and created resources than in destination management while, according to the Integrated model, Serbia is less competitive in demand conditions, which refer to the image and awareness of the destination itself

The ethical dimension of travel agencies business in changing business environment (Serbia): Employees' attitudes vs. employees' conduct expected by management

The purpose of the paper is to provide an empirical study of employees' ethical behavior in travel and tourism industry. A survey research was done in 2012 in the Republic of Serbia among employees in travel agencies as one of the most important subjects in heterogeneous structure of travel and tourism industry, using a questionnaire designed according to the basic theoretical principles of professional ethics. Dealing with the issue of ethical responsibility of employees in travel agencies, this work examines whether employees have business ethics awareness and what kind of individual and corporate social responsibility as part of business environment is undertaken in this regard. The findings of the study showed that employees of travel agencies are ready to act in an ethical manner, although it is the opposite of management attitudes in specific situations. Finally, the paper provides a critical evaluation of entrepreneurial activities and obstacles that travel agencies encounter while operating in the Serbian economy in transition