The Role of Agritourism’s Impact on the Local Community in a Transitional Society: A Report From Serbia

Abstract

© 2017, Universitatea Babes-Bolyai. All rights reserved. This study assessed local residents’ attitudes in Serbia toward the impact of agritourism in their surroundings, using a Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (TIAS). Till now, analysis of the impact of tourism on the attitudes of residents in rural areas of Serbia and other Balkan transitional countries is insufficiently researched. The analyzed items of the TIAS were grouped into four factors: personal and community benefits (grouped eight items); negative impacts (seven items); concern for the local tourism development (five items); and general opinion about tourism development (three items). The factors explain 47.47% of the variance. Furthermore, the results showed that residents consider the possibility to have more money to spend as the most important impact of tourism development. It is followed by the support of local authorities to promote tourism development. The third relevant issue for the residents is related with encouragement of tourism in the local community. These are the key propositions to start an initiative for the local communities to actively participate in agritourism development. The results provide residents, tourism organizers and local authorities with important community perceptions pertaining to the agritourism’s impact.