Local Perspectives on Tourism Development in Western Serbia: Exploring the Potential for Community‑Based Tourism

Abstract

This study investigates the attitudes of local communities in Western Serbia to‑ ward tourism development, with a focus on the potential for implementing community‑ based tourism (CBT) as a sustainable model. CBT emphasizes local community involve‑ ment in tourism planning and benefits, fostering inclusivity and enhancing socio‑economic well‑being. By surveying 845 residents in Western Serbia, this research examines their per‑ ceptions of tourism’s social, environmental, and economic impacts, as well as their level of support for tourism growth and their sense of attachment to the community. Using statis‑ tical methods such as correlation, regression, and descriptive analysis with SPSS 23, this study identifies positive correlations between residents’ attitudes, support for tourism, and attachment to their communities. The findings reveal that local residents generally view tourism growth favorably, with a strong preference for economic benefits over social and environmental ones. Furthermore, community attachment plays a significant role in mo‑ tivating residents to support future tourism initiatives. These insights suggest that align‑ ing tourism development strategies with the residents’ priorities, particularly economic benefits and community attachment, is essential for promoting sustainable and harmo‑ nious tourism growth in Western Serbia. The research highlights the potential of CBT in fostering long‑term socio‑economic benefits for local communities while minimizing adverse impacts.