The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of travel and tourism competitiveness (measured by the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index [TTCI]) on the national economic competitiveness of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries (measured by the Global Competitiveness Index [GCI]). The aim is to identify critical factors for improving competitiveness of SAA countries from the area of tourism competitiveness. The study was conducted using the following methods: regression, cluster and grey relational analysis (GRA). Results reveal that travel and tourism competitiveness has a high impact on national competitiveness in the analysed group of countries. The study identified three homogeneous groups within SSA countries according to the TTCI pillars. The different impact of the TTCI on the GCI is determined in each of these three homogeneous groups of countries. The outcomes of this study could provide recommendations for tourism development policy-makers in SSA countries based on the results of GRA.

The paper explores the potential impact of social enterprises on social exclusion. In particular, the role of social enterprises in labour market integration of socially excluded individuals is analysed within the existing theoretical and policy discourses of exclusion. Taking into account the difficulties in measuring the social impact of social enterprises, our study contributes to the quantitative literature on the performance of social enterprises, taking the number of integrated people as a measure of the impact on social exclusion. The research is based on data on the employment of marginalized groups, derived from a unique dataset collected by a recently conducted survey of social enterprises in Serbia. The original methodological framework combines statistical methods and multi-criteria decision making model, in order to evaluate the contribution of different types of enterprises to the employment of excluded individuals. Weights determination for the MCDM model is performed using entropy while TOPSIS method is applied for the ranking of the types of social enterprises according to the employment of socially excluded categories. The results indicate that enterprises for employment of persons with disabilities, citizens’ associations and cooperatives in Serbia contribute the most in integrating the socially excluded.

Low labour costs as one of the key sources of export stimulation, the competitive advantage of domestic agricultural production and bilateral agreements with partner countries - all promote export as a potentially significant factor of encouragement of economic development of the Republic of Serbia.Taking into account this fact, on the one hand, and balance of payments problems that Serbia has been facing over the years, on the other hand, the subject of this paper is an analysis of trends in the Republic of Serbia export and explanation of variations in the export trends during the period from 2004 to 2014. The aim of the paper is to explore export trends forecast from January to December 2015.The analysis uses Holt-Winters and ARIMA methods for analyszing time series.The paper provides insight into the export trend forecasts for the period of 12 months, and thus confirms the possibility of practical usage of the time series analysis methods in forecasting macroeconomic variables such as export. The used methods identify increase of export during the summer and its decrease after October 2015. The paper establishes the existence of a high degree of congruence between forecasts obtained by using two methods, which confirm a high quality of the elaborated methods in the analysis of exports.

Agricultural crop production is closely related to climate, as a decisive success factor. Temperature fluctuations and changes in the volume of precipitation are the main factors affecting the growth and development of crops, and, ultimately, the quantity produced. Corn is the most common crop necessary to provide for domestic needs, and a strategic product for export. Production of corn in the period from 1947 to 2014 in Serbia had an oscillatory trend, with significant jumps and falls in production. The subject of this paper is the forecasting of future trends in corn production in Serbia. Building on the subject, the purpose of this paper is to create the model for forecasting future corn production and establishing its trends.

Urban tree diversity plays a crucial role in enhancing the resilience of cities by contributing to ecosystem services such as mitigating the effects of land degradation, combating urban heat islands, improving air quality, and fostering biodiversity habitats. A diverse tree population enhances resilience to vulnerabilities related to climatic stress, disease, and habitat loss by promoting stability, adaptability, and efficiency within the ecosystem. Little is known about urban tree diversity in Serbia; therefore, this study examines the diversity of tree species in the City of Niš, Serbia, to assess its implications for urban resilience and biodiversity preservation in the context of land-use change. Using the Shannon Diversity Index, we quantify species richness and evenness across both central and suburban zones of the city. The results are benchmarked against similar indices in five other European cities to assess how patterns of urban tree distribution vary under different urbanisation pressures. The study reveals that tree diversity is markedly lower in the city centre than in peripheral areas, highlighting spatial inequalities in green infrastructure that may accelerate biodiversity loss due to compact urban development. These findings demonstrate how urban expansion and infrastructure density contribute to ecological fragmentation, potentially leading to long-term effects on ecosystem services. This study emphasises the strategic importance of integrating greenery diversity into urban and landscape planning, particularly in rapidly growing urban centres in Southeastern Europe. This research contributes to the existing body of literature, providing a deeper understanding of the interdependencies between urban tree diversity, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, offering data-driven insights. This enables urban planners, landscape architects, and policy advisors to make informed decisions about street tree diversity and green city infrastructure, contributing to the development of sustainable cities.