Empowering local communities for sustainable tourism and resource conservation
A case study of Golija Studenica Biosphere Reserve
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21864754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sanja Obradović Strålman (0000-0001-9339-1570, University of Novi Sad), Vladimir Stojanović (0000-0001-6792-2841, University of Novi Sad), Milana Pantelić (0000-0001-9569-3388, University of Novi Sad), Vladimir Marković (0000-0002-6545-5263, University of Novi Sad) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Pages | 4109 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-28 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Tourism Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1994-7658 • E-ISSN: 1314-0817 |
| Publisher | Varna University of Management (PUBLISHER • BG) |
| DOI | 10.54055/ejtr.v41i.4024 |
| OpenAlex | W4414576404 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
This study investigates the role of community empowerment in promoting sustainable tourism development and resource conservation within the Golija Studenica Biosphere Reserve, a site renowned for its unique biodiversity and socio-economic challenges. Drawing on survey data from 361 respondents, the research examines pathways through which empowerment fosters sustainable tourism practices, increased tourism involvement, community- led initiatives, and resource conservation. A structured resident survey was analysed with structural-equation modelling (SEM) to trace the causal pathways from empowerment to behavioural outcomes. Two key results stand out: (i) psychological and economic empowerment jointly explain more than half of the variance in residents’ willingness to engage in sustainable tourism; (ii) political empowerment, in contrast, exerts a small but significant negative effect on conservation support, pointing to governance frictions. The findings highlight the critical role of local communities in preserving biodiversity and advancing socio-economic development in biosphere reserves. Key implications are provided for policymakers, conservationists, and stakeholders to support empowerment strategies that enhance sustainable tourism and conservation outcomes
Biosphere · Ecotourism · Empowerment · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Sustainable tourism · Tourism · Cruise Tourism Development and Management
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |