Measuring stakeholders’ attitudes toward sustainable development of conference and congress tourism: Serbia case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2400000IKeywords:
conference and congress tourism, sustainability, events, stakeholders’ attitudes, SUS-TAS scaleAbstract
Purpose – Scientific publications regarding business tourism, especially those which incorporate elements of sustainable development, still remain scarce in the existing literature. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine attitudes of local tourist organizations, travel agencies, catering establishments, chambers of commerce and other relevant stakeholders towards the sustainable development of conference and congress tourism (CCT) in Vojvodina, Serbia. Methodology – In order to investigate the attitudes of stakeholders (n=174), the adapted sustainable tourism attitude scale (SUS-TAS) was used in this paper. Moreover, the responses of the directors (managers) of local tourism organizations to several open-ended questions, which make an integral part of the survey, are also presented. Findings – The research instrument proved to be reliable. Based on other applied analyses (t-test and ANOVA), the existence of numerous statistically significant differences in the responses in relation to gender, job position, sector of work, age and education were identified. Implications – Apart from theoretical contribution, this paper reveals what aspects of CCT are in stakeholders’ main focus and what seems to be out of their radar. This should help defining necessary actions for further improvements of CCT. Lastly, study limitations and future research guidelines are discussed.
Downloads
References
Albu, R. (2020). Study on the effects of tourism development on the local community of Brasov. Series V – Economic Sciences, 12(61), 37–42. https://doi.org/10.31926/but.es.2019.12.61.2.5
Anuar, A. N. A., Ahmad, H., Jusoh, H., & Hussain, M. Y. (2012). Understanding the role of stakeholder in the formation of tourist friendly destination concept. Journal of Management and Sustainability, 2(2), 69–74. https://doi.org/10.5539/jms.v2n2p69
Ap, J., & Crompton, J. L. (1998). Developing and testing a tourism impact scale. Journal of Travel Research, 37(2), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759803700203
Atterton, J., & Thompson, N. (2010). University engagement in rural development: A case study of the northern rural network. Journal of Rural Community Development, 5, 123–132.
Bureau International des Expositions (2023). Serbia elected host country of Specialised Expo 2027. Retrieved July 11, 2023 from https://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/news-announcements/expo-2027-28-en/serbia-elected-host-country-of-specialised-expo-2027
Burns, P. M. (2004). Tourism planning a third way? Annals of Tourism Research, 31(1), 24–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2003.08.001
Campbell, J. L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. The Academy of Management Review, 32, 946–967. https://doi.org/10.2307/20159343
Choi, H. S. C., & Sirakaya-Turk, E. (2005). Measuring residents’ attitude toward sustainable tourism: Development of sustainable tourism attitude scale. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 43(4), 380–394. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287505274651
Daniels, M. J., & Norman, W. C. (2003). Estimating the economic impacts of seven regular sport tourism events. Journal of Sport Tourism, 8, 214–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/1477508032000161528
Davidson, R. (1996). Business Travel. Longman, UK.
Davidson, R. (2003). Adding pleasure to business. Journal of Convention & Exhibition Management, 5, 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1300/J143v05n01_03
Dolasinski, M. J., Roberts, C., Reynolds, J., & Johanson, M. (2021). Defining the field of events. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 45, 553–572. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348020978266
Getz, D., & Page, S. J. (2016). Progress and prospects for event tourism research. Tourism Management, 52, 593–631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.03.007
Gilbert, A. C. (1979). A paradigm for developing better measures of marketing constructs. Journal of Marketing Research, 16, 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224377901600110
Graci, S. (2013). Collaboration and partnership development for sustainable tourism. Tourism Geographies, 15(1), 25–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2012.675513
Gu, W., Pan, H., Hu, Z., & Liu, Z. (2022). The triple bottom line of sustainable entrepreneurship and economic policy uncertainty: An empirical evidence from 22 countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7758. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137758
Harrison, J. S., & Wicks, A. C. (2015). Stakeholder theory, value, and firm performance. Business Ethics Quarterly, 23(1), 97–124. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq20132314
Hassan, Z., & Silong, A. D. (2008). Women leadership and community development. European Journal of Scientific Research, 23(3), 361–372.
He, H., Lin, Z., & Li, H. (2020). Key survival factors in the exhibition industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89, 102561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102561
Hinton, P. R., McMurray, I., & Brownlow, C. (2004). SPSS Explained. Routledge: Taylor & Francis, New York.
Hörisch, J., Freeman, R. E., & Schaltegger, S. (2014). Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management. Organization & Environment, 27(4), 328–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026614535786
Hunter, C. (1995). On the need to reconceptualize sustainable tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 3(3), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669589509510720
Ivkov, M., Blešić, I., Popov Raljić, J., Ivkov Džigurski, A., Pivac, T., & Jovanović, T. (2015). Visitors motives for attending a hybrid event: A case study of agricultural fair. Economics of Agriculture, 62(1), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.5937/ekoPolj1501009I
Jew, E., & Bonnington, C. (2011). Socio-demographic factors influence the attitudes of local residents towards trophy hunting activities in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology, 49, 277–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2011.01260.x
Jucu, I. S. (2020). Rebranding the cultural legacy of communism: The golden stag festival (Braşov, Romania) and local placemaking. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 22, 478–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2020.1775400
Kihima, O. B., & Musila, P. M. (2019). Extent of local community participation in tourism development in conservation areas: A case study of Mwaluganje conservancy. Parks, 25(2), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2019.PARKS-25-2BOK.en
Kim, I., Kim, S., Choi, S., Kim, D., Choi, Y., Kim, D., … & Yin, J. (2022). Identifying key elements for establishing sustainable conventions and exhibitions: Use of the Delphi and AHP approaches. Sustainability, 14(3), 1678. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031678
Lee, T. H. (2013). Influence analysis of community resident support for sustainable tourism development. Tourism Management, 34, 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2012.03.007
López, A. M. (2022). Global business travel – statistics & facts. Retrieved June 15, 2023 from https://www.statista.com/topics/2439/global-business-travel-industry/#topicOverview
Lu, S., Zhu, W., & Wei, J. (2020). Assessing the impacts of tourism events on city development in China: A perspective of event system. Current Issues in Tourism, 23, 1528–1541. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1643828
Machado Toffolo, M., Simoncini Ginevra A., Marchini C., Meschini M., Caroselli E., Franzellitti S., … & Goffredo S. (2022). Long-term effects of an informal education program on tourist environmental perception. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 830085. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.830085
Mijatov Ladičorbić, M., Dragin, A., Stojanović, V., Lazić, L., Janjušević, B., Carmer, A., & Hansen, B. (2023). Do we want to be involved? Tourism promotion and the industrial heritage of Germans in Vojvodina. Sociologija i prostor, 61, 226(1), 79–104. https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.61.1.4
Milošević, S., Perić, D., & Škrbić, I. (2021). How do residents assess the social impact of tourism? Hotel and Tourism Management, 9(1), 103–119. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2101103M
Moisescu, O. I., Gică, O. A., Coroş, M. M. (2020). The impact of tourism education on tourism destination performance and sustainability. In S. Hugues and A. C. Yallop (Eds.), Overtourism and Tourism Education (1st ed.), Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). The assessment of reliability. Psychometric Theory, 3, 248–292.
Obradović, S., Stojanović, V., Kovačić, S., Jovanović, T., Pantelić, M., & Vujičić, M. (2021). Assessment of residents’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism development – A case study of Bačko Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve, Serbia. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 35, 100384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2021.100384
Peterson, R. A., & Kim, Y. (2013). On the relationship between coefficient alpha and composite reliability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(1), 194–198. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030767
Raj, R., Walters, P., & Rashid, T. (2013). Event management: Principles and practice. Sage Publications, London, UK.
Rathnayake, C. V., & Darshi, G. A. N. (2020). An application of sustainable tourism attitude scale (sus-tas) in three coastal tourist destinations in the southern province of Sri Lanka. The Sixth International Conference on Business Management, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Richards, G., & Hall, D. (2000). Tourism and sustainable community development. Routledge, London, UK.
Ritchie, J. R. B, & Crouch, G. I. (2010). A model of destination competitiveness/sustainability: Brazilian perspectives. Revista de Administracao Publica 44(5), 1049–1066. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-76122010000500003
Ritchie, J. R. B., & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The competitive destination: A sustainable tourism perspective. Cabi, Oxon, UK.
Ruhanen, L. (2013). Local government: Facilitator or inhibitor of sustainable tourism development? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(1), 80–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2012.680463
Scaccia, M., & De Uriostne-Stone, S. (2016). Resident perceptions of sustainable tourism in Maine. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 11(3), 375–384. https://doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V11-N3-375-384
Serbia Convention Bureau (n.d). Retrieved June 19, 2023 from https://www.scb.travel/sr/centar-za-odrzivost
Sharpley, R. (2014). Host perceptions of tourism: A review of the research. Tourism Management, 42, 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.10.007
Sharpley, R. (2020). Tourism, sustainable development and the theoretical divide: 20 years on. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(11), 1932–1946. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1779732
Skopjak Kresović, S. (2015). MICE tourism and sustainable development – the challenge and potential for Belgrade. Master thesis, Singidunum University, Belgrade.
Štetić, S. (2007). Posebni oblici turizma [Special forms of tourism]. Forma B, Beograd.
Štetić, S., Cvijanović, D., & Šimičević, D., (2014). Posebni oblici turizma Dunavskog regiona Srbije [Special forms of tourism in the Danube Region of Serbia]. Institut za ekonomiku poljoprivrede, Beograd.
Stylidis, D., Biran, A., Sit, J., & Szivas, E. M. (2014). Residents’ support for tourism development: The role of residents’ place image and perceived tourism impacts. Tourism Management, 45, 260–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.05.006
Sulkowski, A. J., Edwards, M., & Freeman, R. E. (2017). Shake your stakeholder: Firms leading engagement to cocreate sustainable value. Organization & Environment, 31(3), 223–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026617722129
Šušić, V., & Mojić, J. (2014). Kongresni turizam kao tržišna niša poslovnog turizma [Congress tourism as a market niche of business tourism]. Ekonomske teme, 52(4), 523–539. https://doi.org/10.1515/ethemes-2014-0031
Taber, K. (2017). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48, 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
Thetsane, R. (2019). Local community participation in tourism development: The case of katse villages in Lesotho. Athens Journal of Tourism, 6(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajt.6-2-4
Timur, S. (2012). Analyzing urban tourism stakeholder relationship: A network perspective. Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, Working Papers.
Tomasi, S., Paviotti, G., & Cavicchi, A. (2020). Educational tourism and local development: The role of universities. Sustainability, 12(17), 6766. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176766
Trencher, G. P., Yarime, M., & Kharrazi, A. (2013). Co-creating sustainability: Cross-sector university collaborations for driving sustainable urban transformations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 50, 40–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.11.047
Tršić, I., & Arsenov-Bojović, V. (2018). Tre role of MICE industry in tourism development. In D. Cvijanović et al. (Eds.), Tourism in Function of Development of the Republic of Serbia: Tourism in the Era of Digital Transformation (Thematic Proceedings II) (pp. 275–293). Faculty of Hotel Management and Tourism in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia.
Tuo, J., Deng, R., Tao, M., Xu, Z., Peng, Y., Linghu, Y., … & Yu, C. (2022). Cultural factors and senior tourism: Evidence from the Chinese context. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1030059. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1030059
Turker, N., Alaeddinoglu, F., & Ali Selcuk, C. (2016). The role of stakeholders in sustainable tourism development in Safranbolu, Turkey. International Conference on Hospitality, Leisure, Sports, and Tourism – Conference Proceedings, Kyoto, Japan.
United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (2005). Making tourism more sustainable – A guide for policy makers. UNEP and UNWTO, 2005, 11–12.
van Griethuijsen, R. A. L. F., van Eijck, M. W., Haste, H., den Brok, P. J., Skinner, N. C., Mansour, N., … & BouJaoude, S. (2015). Global patterns in students’ views of science and interest in science. Research in Science Education, 45(4), 581–603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-014-9438-6
Wang, H., & Luo, Y. (2014). A primary research on the development of the aged migration tourism for summer holiday in Yichun based on aging society. Forestry Economics, 9, 31–35. https://doi.org/10.13843/j.cnki.lyjj.2014.09.007
Wang, S., & Xu, H. (2015). Influence of place-based senses of distinctiveness, continuity, self-esteem and self-efficacy on residents’ attitudes toward tourism. Tourism Management, 47, 241–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.10.007
Wang, S., Chen, S., & Xu, H. (2019). Resident attitudes towards dark tourism, a perspective of place-based identity motives. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(13), 1601–1616. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2017.1390553
Wardle, C., Buckley, R., Shakeela, A., & Castley, J. G. (2018). Ecotourism’s contributions to conservation: Analysing patterns in published studies. Journal of Ecotourism, 20, 99–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2018.1424173
Weaver, D. (2006). Sustainable tourism. Elsevier, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK.
Williams, B. (2023). 100+ Business Travel Statistics (2023). Retrieved June 25, 2023 from https://www.dreambigtravelfarblog.com/blog/business-travel-statistics
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) (2022). Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2022, Global Trends. Retrieved January 25, 2024 from https://wttc.org/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/2022/EIR2022-Global%20Trends.pdf
Wroblewski, S., & Ussenbayev, N. (2022). A new paradigm for meetings and events studies. Hotel and Tourism Management, 10(1), 107–123. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2201107W
Yu, C. P., Charles, H., Chancellor, & Cole, S. (2009). Measuring residents’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism: A reexamination of the sustainable tourism attitude scale. Journal of Travel Research, 50(1), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287509353189
Zhang, S., & Chan, C. S. (2016). Nature-based tourism development in Hong Kong: Importance–Performance perceptions of local residents and tourists. Tourism Management Perspectives, 20, 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2016.07.002
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Milan Ivkov, Srđan Milošević, Nemanja Dimić, Filip Đoković
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.