The boom of the tourism industry has led to a huge interest in investing largely in hotel lodgings. Tourists have become aware and started considering new and far from ordinary tourist issues, like environmental protection, waste treatment measures, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green-house gas emissions, etc. The aims of the study are three-fold: (i) to assess the application of energy efficiency practices in the hotel industry; (ii) to explore the determinants of energy consumption; and (iii) to pose valuable recommendations for boosting development of eco-friendly hotels. The research was conducted in Macedonia for the purpose of identifying the impacts of several factors of managing environmental protection practices, in the first line by measuring their current level of influence. The data were obtained by an online survey conducted among managers of three-, four- and five-star hotels and processed by descriptive statistics. The results showed that managers have high positive perceptions on environmental protection issues and pose high awareness of the benefits produced by this concept, thus supporting the European environmental impact assessment regulation. The study recommends new approaches in challenging the hotel industry to decrease the operating costs and suggests that managers are in need for better understanding of the importance of energy efficiency.

The paper provides a short-run estimation of international tourism demand focusing on the case of F.Y.R. Macedonia. For this purpose, the Box–Jenkins methodology is applied and several alternative specifications are tested in the modelling of original time series and international tourist arrivals recorded in the period 1956–2013. Upon the outcomes of standard indicators for accuracy testing, the research identifies the model of A.R.I.M.A.(1,1,1) as most suitable for forecasting. According to the research findings, a 13.9% increase in international tourist arrivals is expected by 2018. The forecasted values of the chosen model can assist in mitigating any potential negative impacts, as well as in the preparation of a tourism development plan for the country.

Issues arise when trying to understand the motivation of policymakers to preserve the assets of cultures that do not belong to the mainstream population. Tunbridge and Ashworth's seminal study on ‘Dissonant Heritage’ and Bennett's developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS model) provide a basis to evaluate both the motivations and the existence of a cultural dissonance. As there is a growing worldwide trend towards preserving and developing Jewish heritage tourism (JHT) this study examines Jewish heritage sites in three Macedonian cities endowed with rich Jewish history. Unlike previous studies concentrating on the notion of dissonant heritage, this research focuses on the motivation for preserving such sites, an issue hardly tackled before. Previous studies suggested the prevalence of six possible motives: guilt, facing harsh history, emphasis on dark tourism, revival of a harmonious past, respect, and economic benefits. Data were obtained via face-to-face interviews conducted with policy-makers from central and local governments. The interviews were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in order to determine the leading motives for preservation. The findings indicate that by establishing and maintaining Jewish Heritage sites, stakeholders reflect sentiments of respect and admiration for the perished Jewish community and a longing for the revival of an elusive harmonious past. The potential economic benefits and dark tourism surfaced only as minor motives. Practically, JH preservation is used to revive dialogue with a forgotten past that may also contribute to urban tourism development in the future. Conceptually, the interviews did not reveal any indication of heritage dissonance, a finding that stands in sharp contrast to the dissonant heritage theory.

Rural tourism offers opportunity to local communities to oppose the process of rural abandonment. This study assesses the tourism potential of two almost depopulated villages in Serbia, Gostuša (Pirot) and Poganovo (Dimitrovgrad), and identifies their second-home tourism perspectives. They have similar geo-demographic characteristics, but different development patterns. A practical understanding of residents’ perception was gained along with identifying the socio-economic indicators. A comprehensive comparison is made to identify the diversification level of the rural economy in these villages. The study also assesses the rural capital and concludes that it is not realistic to expect fast and sustainable tourism development in these peripheral rural areas. Finally, the study extracts the factors of influence and predicts trends of the diversification process and second-home tourism expansion in rural areas of Balkan Mt.

World Heritage (WH) status is anticipated to promote sustainable development by protecting the destination’s outstanding natural and cultural resources, generating economic advantages, attracting visitors, and improving the quality of life for its residents. Putting the economic advantages and values first has a critical effect on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), which negatively impacts the destination’s sustainability, such as quality of life. This study proposes a sustainability model based on UNESCO OUV to evaluate tourism’s role in a WH destination’s residents’ perception of quality of life. The model was tested on a WH destination Ohrid (North Macedonia). The findings revealed that tourism has a beneficial economic impact while also having a negative influence on the OUV ecological environment and residents’ perception of quality of life. The discussion takes place in UNESCO’s considerations to add Ohrid to the list of WH in Danger due to unsustainable tourism development. The findings encourage destination managers to take responsibility for the OUV resources and to take the necessary actions to improve tourism sustainability. The model can be easily adapted and applied to any WH destination.