The role of higher education institutions in human resource education in tourism: The case of Serbia

Tourism is one of the fastest growing activities in the world. This is confirmed by data on the number of tourists and overnight stays, followed by pronounced economic effects. Modern tourism business requires a trained and skilled workforce. This is especially important if we take into account that tourism is a labor-intensive industry. The man is the main service producer. Education of the staff for work in the service sector requires knowledge from various fields (geography, economics, sociology, management, philology, psychology, ecology, technology, medicine, etc.). Consequently, tourism workers must possess a broad general and humanistic culture and education.The aim of this paper is to analyze the study programmes of higher education institutions from Serbia which educate staff in the field of tourism and hospitality. This will point out the multidisciplinary knowledge required in both operational as well in the managerial and scientific-research sector.The paper was published within the session 9 - Touris

Izbor akvizicione strategije i zbrinjavanje trgovinskog suficita prehrambenih proizvoda primenom modela simulacije

Real business environment opens up many possibilities of business conduct, so that appropriate strategies, compatible with multicriteria requirements of the environment, potentially lead to the realization of the set goal. Adequate schedule and the optimal combination of available resources are possible to establish by a mathematical formalization in terms of the theoretical model that connects business outcomes with a cause or a probability of their occurrence. Exactly research of the possibility of using and applying the results of theoretical models in solving the specific tasks in regard to expressing relations of initial assumptions related to selection of the optimal operating strategy, is the initial motive of this paper. The theoretical models, which describe the real problem, can be analysed analytically or by simulation, depending on its complexity and the variables type, which describe it. The model should provide achieving the managing balance through the model correction of the available operational resources, increasing in that way also the capacity of decision-making system in terms of futuristic knowledge insufficiency. The research results should show that the simulation model apply, in this particular example, enables to a company significant increase of business efficiency level, more complex utilization of the capacities, increase of the competitiveness, etc.Realni poslovni ambijent otvara brojne mogućnosti poslovnog ponašanja, tako da odgovarajuće strategije, kompatibilne višekriterijumskim zahtevima okruženja potencialno dovode do ostvarivanja postavljenog cilja. Adekvatan raspored i optimalnu kombinaciju raspolozivih resursa moguće je uspostaviti matematičkom formalizacijom u vidu teorijskog modela koji povezuje poslovne ishode sa uzrokom ili verovatnoćom njihovog nastanka. Upravo ispitivanjem mogućnosti korišćenja i rezultata primene teorijskih modela u rešavnju konkretnih zadataka u pogledu izražavanja odnosa početnih postavki u vezi sa izborom optimalne strategije funkcionisanja, polazni je motiv teme rada. Teorijski modeli prilagođeni praktičnim problemima, u uslovima stohastičke neodređenosti su regresiona analiza i modeli simulacije, u uslovima neizvesnih poslovnih ishoda odgovarajući konkurentski modeli, dok u uslovima determinističke povezanosti matematičko programiranje. Dakle, izgradnja modela treba da omogući postizanje upravljačke ravnoteže kroz modelsku korekciju raspoloživih operativnih resursa, podižući tako i kapacitet sistema odlučivanja u uslovima nedovoljnosti futuristickog znanja. Rezultati istraživanja treba da pokažu da primena simulacionog modela, u konkretnom primeru omogućava preduzeću značajno podizanje nivoa poslovne efikasnosti, potpunije iskorištenje kapaciteta, povećanje konkurentske sposobnosti itd

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF INVESTMENT PROJECTS IN CROATIA\u27S HOTEL INDUSTRY

Autori ukazuju na aspekte razvoja turizma i hotelijerstva povezane s održivošću razvoja te s društvenim, ekonomskim i ostalim razvojnim utjecajima. Rad ističe brojne utjecaje razvoja turizma na zajednicu, kao i činjenicu da je hotelijerstvo kapitalno intenzivna djelatnost. Stoga se u radu istražuju sastavnice modela upravljanja investicijsko-razvojnim procesom u hotelijerstvu. Autori identificiraju ciljeve, faze i sudionike procesa planiranja i razvoja investicijskih projekata u hotelijerstvu. Identificira se izrazita složenost ovog procesa koja proizlazi iz brojnosti sudionika u procesu, mnogovrsnosti uključenih struka, brojnosti faza i dugotrajnosti procesa, te također i činjenica da su interesi privatnih investitora i javni interesi često suprotstavljeni. Stoga se utvrđuje nužnost uspostave učinkovite koordinacije između svih sudionika i svih aktivnosti procesa. U radu se istražuje praksa upravljanja investicijsko-razvojnim projektima u hotelijerstvu u Hrvatskoj. Provedeno empirijsko istraživanje na uzorku vodećih hotelsko-ugostiteljskih trgovačkih društava u Hrvatskoj dokazalo je potrebu osnivanja specijaliziranih društava za vođenje investicijskog procesa u hotelijerstvu. U radu se analizira nužnost razvoja turizma i hotelijerstva u skladu s načelima održivog razvoja te se ukazuje na potrebu da razvoj hotelijerstva poštuje zakonske okvire i standarde prostornog planiranja koje određuje javni sektor.The authors point out the aspects of tourism and hotel industry development connected with the sustainability of development as well as with social, economic and other development impacts. The paper outlines numerous tourism development impacts on the community and the fact that hotel industry is an industry based on a high level of venture capital. Therefore, the authors examine the components of management model of investment and development process in hotel industry. The authors identify the goals, phases and stakeholders in the planning and development process of investment projects in hotel industry. This is a highly complex process that involves many stakeholders, different specialities, a lot of phases and it lasts a long time. Furthermore, there is always a conflict between the interests of private investors and public interest. Therefore, the paper identifies the necessity to establish the efficient coordination between all the stakeholders and activities within the process. Management practice of investment and development projects in Croatia\u27s hotel industry are examined. An empirical survey which was carried out on the sample of the leading hospitality companies in Croatia has proven the necessity to establish the companies specialized in managing investment processes in the hotel industry. Furthermore, the paper analyses the development of tourism and hotel industries in accordance with the sustainability principles, and points out the necessity to respect the legal framework and spatial planning standards which are determined by the public sector

THE PROBLEM OF DELIMITATION IN MOUNTAIN REGIONS,

It has been proved for countless number of times, including the case of Goč Mountain, that consulting geographers for various questions is obligatory. The topic of this work is the necessity of establishing borders in mountain regions and ways in which it could be performed. It also points to the fact that toponyms could create confusion. The results of the paper have led to paradox situation. By establishing  borders of the Goč Mountain, it has been proved that certain, terrains close to it, which were considered to belong to Goč, are in fact on the slopes of the other mountain, and in addition to it, between them there is one more lower mountain. Namely, it is interesting that conducting an interview among local population in southeast part of the mountain contributed to the process of confirmation of the border established by applying geographic knowledge, while on the southwest part of the Goč Mountain it was not the case. Additional analysis gave the explanation for the diversity. There is no local population in southwest part of the Goč Mountain. Interview was conducting between employees in tourist facilities, forestry workers and weekenders

THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC POLICY MEASURES ON ECONOMIC POSITION AND COMPETITIVENESS OF HOTEL COMPANIES

Poduzete mjere ekonomske politike u analiziranom trinaestgodišnjem razdoblju 2001.-2013., nisu bile dovoljno učinkovite glede unapređenja ekonomskoga položaja hrvatskoga hotelijerstva. Mjere ekonomske politike bile su odraz nedorečene politike razvoja turizma pa samim time i hotelijerstva. Usporedba ekonomskoga položaja hrvatskoga hotelijerstva s hotelijerstvom izabranih zemalja (Španjolska, Francuska, Italija, Mađarska, Grčka i Turska) ukazuje na lošiji ekonomski položaj hrvatskoga, što je dobrim djelom i odraz (ne)poduzetih mjera ekonomske politike. Rad je dokazao da odabrane sastavnice ekonomske politike (PDV, tečaj i kamatna stopa) bitno predodređuju ekonomski položaj hrvatskog hotelijerstva na način da ograničavaju uspješnost poslovanja te ga čine manje konkurentnim u odnosu na neposredno okruženje. Model međuovisnosti ključnih sastavnica ekonomske politike i ekonomskoga položaja hotelijerstva pokazuje da promjene odabranih sastavnica mogu rezultirati pozitivnim bruto rezultatom hotelijerstva. U aplikativnom smislu model može poslužiti kao dobra polazna točka u defi niranju novih mjera ekonomske politike kako za hrvatsko hotelijerstvo tako i za one djelatnosti koje su s njim povezane po izvoznom potencijalu (poljoprivreda, brodogradnja, prerađivačka industrija). Unatoč pozitivnim učincima primjene proaktivnih mjera važno je prepoznati i stanovita ograničenja koja se vežu uz stanje proračuna, zaduženosti i rizik zemlje.Undertaken measures of economic policy, in the analysed thirteen year period from 2001 to 2013, were not effective in terms of improving the economic position of Croatian hotel industry. Economic policy measures were a refl ection of incomplete tourism development policy and thus the hotel industry itself. Economic position comparison of Croatian hotel industry and that of selected countries (Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Greece and Turkey) indicates a worse economic position of Croatian hotel industry which is in great part a refl ection of (not)taken economic policy measures. This paper has proved that the selected components of economic policy (VAT, exchange rate and interest rate) essentially predetermine the economic position of the Croatian hotel industry in the way that they limit the business performance and make it less competitive in relation to its immediate competition. Interdependence model of key components of economic policy and economic position of hotel industry show that changes of selected components can result in a positive gross result. In terms of applicability, model can serve as a good starting point in defi ning the new economic policy measures for Croatian hospitality but also for related, export potential, activities (agriculture, shipbuilding industry, manufacturing, agriculture). Despite the expected positive effects of proactive measures it is important to recognize certain limitations associated with the state budget, debt and country risk

Investments in Tourism and Hospitality - Building of the Hotels

Da bi se ispunile sve opsežnije turističke preferencije, potrebe želje i zahtjevi, turistička djelatnost, osobito ugostiteljska i hotelijerska, prepoznala je potrebu i prioritet investiranja u izgradnju i napredak svojih kapaciteta da bi postigla potpunu kompetitivnost, profitabilnost te u konačnici značajno zadovoljstvo turista pruženom uslugom te lojalnost njihova vraćanja. Stoga su investicije u turizmu – u ugostiteljstvu i hotelijerstvu – postale conditio sine qua non da bi ugostiteljski i hotelijerski entiteti ostvarili svoje kvalitativne i kvantitativne poslovne ciljeve. Hotelska i ugostiteljska industrija investira izdašna financijska sredstva u izgradnju novih smještajnih objekata i u unapređenje postojećih u svrhu akumulacijskih vrijednosti u sadašnjosti i nadom u ostvarenje dobiti u budućnosti. Investitori danas najviše ulažu svoja sredstva u izgradnju hotelskih objekata jer su svjesni činjenice da hotelska industrija generira goleme profite, a prinos na tako velike investicije je njima, i uz prihvaćenu vjerojatnost rizika, toliko atraktivan da su investicijski projekti u hotelijerstvo u suvremenom turizmu sve izraženiji.In order to meet all the broad goals of tourist preferences, needs and requirements, tourist activity, particularly hospitality and catering, the need and the priority of investing in construction and advancement of its capacity are recognized in order to achieve complete competitiveness, profitability, finesse and loyalty of their return. Hence, investment in tourism – in hospitality and catering industry – became condition sine qua non, so that hospitality and catering entities can achieve their quantifiable and quantitative business goals. The hospitality and catering industry invests the plantiful financial assets in the construction of new accomodati0on facilities and the improvement of exiting ones for the purpose of accumulating value in the present and the provision for future profits. Investors today invest most of their money in building hotel facilities to achieve significant profitability because they are conssious teh fact that hospitality industry is generating huge profits, and yield on that big investments is to them, with accepted probability of risk, is so attractive that investment projects in hospitality industry, instead of contemporary tourism, are increasingly pronounced

UPRAVLJANJE PERFORMANSAMA I IMPLEMENTACIJA BSC MODELA U LAVČEVIĆ – HOTELIJERSTVO D.O.O. : Diplomski rad

U svakodnevnom poslovanju poduzeća su izložena poslovnoj neizvjesnosti i nesigurnoj poslovnoj okolini. Korištenjem tradicionalnih financijskih pokazatelja poslovni rizici se ne mogu umanjiti. Glavni razlog je što isključivo financijski podaci nisu dovoljno relevantni za definiranje i implementaciju dugoročnih strateških ciljeva poduzeća. Sve zahtjevnije ljudske potrebe i potražnja su dovele do značajnog razvoja proizvoda i usluga jer se više ne traži samo osnovna usluga već i dodatna vrijednost koju proizvod ili usluga pružaju, a samim time i potrebe za implementacijom dugoročnih strategija. Težnja za uvođenjem pokazatelja koji će integrirati dugoročne strateške ciljeve s tradicionalnim financijskim pokazateljima dovela je do razvoja integriranog modela mjerenja postignuća poznatog kao BSC model. BSC predstavlja uravnotežen sustav mjerenja rezultata. Primjenom BSC modela poduzeće ne zanemaruje tradicionalne financijske pokazatelje, već ih komponira sa ostalim perspektivama modela, a to su: perspektiva kupaca, perspektiva internih procesa i perspektiva učenja i razvoja. Perspektive se određuju na temelju strateških ciljeva poduzeća. Za uspješnost i kvalitetu BSC modela neophodno je uključiti sve sudionike poslovnog procesa u njegovu implementaciju; od zaposlenika na najnižim razinama do vrhovnih menadžera. Tek kad su svi upoznati s korisnostima modela i rade na njegovoj implementaciji može se očekivati efikasan rezultat. Na primjeru poduzeća Lavčević – Hotelijerstvo d.o.o. analiziran je postojeći model izvještavanja te oblikovan BSC model koji pokazuje poslovna ostvarenja 6% bolja od prethodne godine. Na temelju rezultata koji su dobiveni poželjno je da poduzeće uključi BSC model u svoje poslovanje kako bi kontinuirano napredovalo i ostvarivalo pozitivne rezultate poslovanja.Everyday business is exposed to business uncertainty and uncertain business environment. By using traditional financial indicators, business risks can not be diminished. The main reason is that only financial information is not relevant enough for defining and implementing long-term strategic goals of the company. More demanding human needs and demand have led to significant product and service development because they are no longer looking for only the basic service but also the additional value that the product or service provides, and hence the need for implementing long-term strategies. The effort to introduce indicators that will integrate long-term strategic goals with traditional financial indicators has led to the development of an integrated measurement model known as the BSC model. BSC represents a balanced system of measurement of results. By applying the BSC model, the company doesn’t neglect traditional financial indicators, but it complements them with other model perspectives: buyer’s perspective, perspectives of internal processes, and perspectives of learning and development. Perspectives are determined based on the company's strategic goals. For the success and quality of the BSC model it is necessary to include all the participants in the business process in its implementation; from employees to the lowest levels to top managers. Only when all are familiar with the utility of the model and are working on its implementation can be expected an efficient result. In the example of the company Lavčević - Hotelijerstvo d.o.o. an existing reporting model was analyzed and a BSC model was created that shows business performance 6% better than the previous year. Based on the results obtained, it is desirable for the company to incorporate the BSC model into its business to continue to progress and achieve positive business results

STAVOVI STRUČNE JAVNOSTI O UTJECAJU DOMAĆIH I INOZEMNIH IZRAVNIH ULAGANJA NA USPJEŠNOST POSLOVANJA U HOTELIJERSTVU

Ulaganja u hotelijerstvo predstavljaju nužan preduvjet njegova razvoja. U uvjetima ograničene ponude kapitala na domaćemu financijskom tržištu rješenje se nerijetko vidi u privlačenju inozemnih izravnih ulaganja (FDI). Cilj je ovog rada istražiti stavove stručne javnosti o utjecaju ulaganja u podizanje kategorije smještajnih kapaciteta na uspješnost poslovanja u hotelijerstvu, razlikama u uspješnosti poslovanja između hotela u domaćem i stranom vlasništvu, motivima inozemnih ulagača te značaju porezne politike za privlačenje FDI-a u hotelijerstvo. Provedena su ispitivanja anketnim upitnikom i dubinskim intervjuom te istraživanje literature i dostupnih statističkih podataka. Pokazalo se da su stavovi stručnjaka o značaju domaćih i inozemnih ulaganja istovjetni nalazima sekundarnih istraživanja. Odstupanja su se pokazala u području percepcije glavnih motiva inozemnih ulagača te u ocjeni značaja porezne politike za privlačenje FDI-a. Moguće je objašnjenje u teško dostupnim i netransparentnim podacima te ograničenjima koja nastaju pri analizi dužih vremenskih serija

The Economic Position of the Croatian Hotel Industry and Economic Policy Measures

Turizam je danas priznat kao važan pokretač društveno-ekonomskoga razvoja. Uporište takvoj tvrdnji daje njegov doprinos bruto domaćem proizvodu mnogih zemalja. On nije djelatnost već skup odnosa i pojava te stoga kada se govori o financijskim učincima turizma onda se misli na učinke realizirane kroz ugostiteljsku djelatnost, ali i s njom povezane djelatnosti kao npr. maloprodaja, promet, trgovina i turističko posredništvo i dr. Specifičnost turizma ogleda se u činjenici da je kupac taj koji putuje prema proizvodu, a ne proizvod prema kupcu. Manje razvijene zemlje, kojima pripada i Hrvatska, veći dio financijskoga rezultata turizma ostvaruju na međunarodnom tržištu što djeluje pozitivno na platnu bilancu neke zemlje. Suvremena ekonomska teorija turizam svrstava u specifičan oblik finalne potrošnje, a povezanost s gospodarstvom tumači kroz uobičajene segmente potrošnje – osobnu (tekuću) turističku potrošnju, investicijsku i javnu potrošnju u funkciji turizma te (nevidljivi) izvoz turističkih usluga. Hrvatsko hotelijerstvo ostvaruje više od 50% prihoda generiranih u ugostiteljskoj djelatnosti, od čega samo hoteli realiziraju 90% ukupnih prihoda hotelijerstva. Ako se do sada rečenom pridoda i podatak da hoteli čine svega 25% ukupnih smještajnih kapaciteta ugostiteljstva onda je jasan gospodarski potencijal ovog sektora. Na ekonomski položaj svakoga poduzeća pa tako i hotelskoga utječu činitelji koje poduzeće može (endogeni) i oni koje ne može kontrolirati (egzozeni). Doktorski rad posvećuje pažnju utjecaju ekonomske politike na ekonomski položaj hotelskih poduzeća i čitavog sektora (hotelijerstva). Dugo analizirano razdoblje (1961−2010) ekonomskoga položaja hrvatskoga hotelijerstva upućuje na činjenicu da, usprkos postojećim komparativnim prednostima, koje su prerasle u konkurentske na svjetskom tržištu, hotelijeri godinama posluju na granici profitabilnosti ili što je češći slučaj s gubitkom (u 2011. neto marža profita iznosi -11,43%). Izračunati Altmanov Z-score sektora od 2007. upozorava na mogućnost nastupa stečaja. Nepoticajno makroekonomsko i poslovno okruženje koje kreira ekonomska politika bitno određuje takav položaj. Poduzete mjere ekonomske politike nisu bile dovoljno učinkovite po pitanju unapređenja ekonomskoga položaja hrvatskoga hotelijerstva. Mjere ekonomske politike bile su odraz nedorečene politike razvoja turizma pa samim time i hotelijerstva. Usporedba ekonomskoga položaja hrvatskoga hotelijerstva s hotelijerstvom izabranih zemalja (Španjolska, Francuska, Italija, Mađarska, Grčka i Turska) ukazuje na lošiji ekonomski položaj hrvatskoga što je djelom i odraz (ne)poduzetih mjera ekonomske politike. Rad je dokazao da odabrane sastavnice ekonomske politike (PDV, tečaj i kamatna stopa) bitno predodređuju ekonomski položaj hrvatskoga hotelijerstva na način da ograničavaju uspješnost poslovanja mjerenu ostvarenim bruto rezultatom. Model međuovisnosti ključnih sastavnica ekonomske politike i ekonomskoga položaja hotelijerstva pokazuje da promjene odabranih sastavnica mogu rezultirati pozitivnim bruto rezultatom hotelijerstva. U aplikativnom smislu model može poslužiti kao dobra polazna točka u definiranju novih mjera ekonomske politike kako za hrvatsko hotelijerstvo tako i za s njim, po izvoznom potencijalu, povezanim djelatnostima (poljoprivreda, tekstilna industrija, itd.). Unatoč pozitivnim učincima primjene proaktivnih mjera važno je prepoznati i stanovita ograničenja koja se vežu uz stanje proračuna, zaduženosti, rizik zemlje i sl.Tourism is now days recognized as an important driver of socio-economic development. Stronghold of such claim is his contribution to gross domestic product of many countries. Tourism is not an activity but a set of relations and phenomena, and therefore when talking about the financial impacts of tourism it implies the effects realized through the hospitality industry, but also the related activities, such as retail, transportation, trade and tourism intermediation etc. The specific nature of tourism is reflected in the fact that the customer is the one who is traveling to the product, not the product to the customer. Less developed countries, like Croatia, most of the financial results achieve in the international tourism market, which has a positive effect on the balance of payments of the country. Modern economic theory regards tourism as specific form of final consumption, and its connectivity with the economy is interpreted through the usual consumption segments - personal (current) tourism consumption, investment and public spending for tourism and the (invisible) export of tourist services. Croatian hotel industry achieves more than 50% of the revenue generated in the Hospitality and Catering Industry of which only hotels realized 90% of total revenues of hotel industry. The fact that hotels comprise only 25% of the total accommodation capacity of hospitality says a lot about economic potential of this sector. Economic position of each company, including hotels, is determined by factors that can be (endogenous) and cannot be (exogenous) controlled by a company. The thesis pays attention to the impact of economic policy on the economic position of the hotel companies and the whole sector (hotel industry). Analysed economic position of the Croatian hotel industry (1961−2010) indicates that despite the existing comparative advantages, that evolved into the competitive in the world market, hoteliers have been operating on the verge of profitability or as often the case with a loss (in 2011 net profit margin is -11.43%). From 2007 calculated Altman Z-score for the sector warns of the possibility that bankruptcy may occur. Disincentive macroeconomic and business environment that economic policy creates essentially defines such economic position of the Croatian hotel industry. Economic policy measures taken were not sufficiently effective in terms of improving the economic position of Croatian hotel industry. They were a reflection of incomplete tourism development policy and thus the hotel industry development policy. Comparison of the economic position of the Croatian hotel industry to the hotel industry of selected countries (Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Greece and Turkey) indicates worse economic position of Croatian hotels which is partly a reflection of measures that were not taken. Thesis has proved that the selected components of economic policy (VAT, exchange rate and interest rate) significantly predetermine the economic position of the Croatian hotel industry in the way that they limit business performance measured by gross profit. Model of the interdependence between key components of economic policy and economic position of hotel industry shows that changes of selected components can result in a positive gross profit for the hotel industry. In terms of applicability model can serve as a good starting point in defining a new economic policy measures for Croatian hotel industry and as well for him, regarding export potential, related activities (agriculture, textiles, etc.). Despite the positive effects of the implementation of proactive measures it is important to recognize certain limitations associated with the state budget, debt, country risk, etc