The present article aims to analyse wage-labour productivity causalities in Croatia and Slovenia using cointegration methods based on monthly time series data of variables for labour productivity and real gross wages in tourism industry during the period December 1999–January 2020. The data vector is integrated by chain indices with the constant base January 2000 = 100. A stochastic trend and shocks are covered in the analysis. Shocks are linked to the European Union accession, and economic crisis following with overwhelmed tourist arrivals. The contribution of the research is two-fold. First, the equations for at most normal distributed variables of labour productivity and real wages in tourism are exposed. Three spatial cointegration relations confirm labour productivity integrity of the regional tourism market. Second, pair-wise causalities indicate one cointegrated vector for labour productivity, which drives real gross wages in tourism sub-industries. These results suggest that for a higher non-seasonal assessment of real gross wage, the labour productivity should rise, i.e. less workers, more robotization or more tourist arrivals with better quality solutions. These findings are at most important to be implemented after the COVID-19 infection crisis with expected restructurings and digital transformation in the tourism industry.

This study considers diversification effects and significant influences on tourist arrivals as a vital export direction. Different quantitative methods, namely a cointegrated-autoregressive model, panels, sentiment and sensitivity analysis, were used in this study. The time-series data for Croatia and Slovenia were isolated from several secondary sources. The variables examined in this approach are tourist arrivals, precipitations, sunny days, earthquakes, microbes and CO₂ emissions. The study results showed that there is a severe negative effect on tourist arrivals defined by viruses. Moreover, there is a significant decisive effect of weather conditions on tourist arrivals. Nevertheless, it is necessary to move past Covid-19 pandemic discussions to yield more accurate tourism supply forecasts, while demand is already somehow low since the beginning of 2020. The primary significance is to develop a broader thinking about the impacts of CO₂ emissions on the tourism escorted to official tourist websites.

With the emergence of the metaverse, countries’ digital efforts to create tourism opportunities have given rise to the possibility of capitalising on digital content which, along with physical tourism experiences, can generate further income and enhance a country’s reputation. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a unique application of blockchain technology, offer an enabling technology in several sectors, including tourism. Therefore, this study aims to explore the official tourism websites of Croatia and Slovenia and analyse current NFT applications in tourism economics. The methodology focuses explicitly on sentiment analysis, blockchain and machine learning. The paper introduces various applications currently in place, including Slovenia’s “I Feel Nft” project. The research shows that the main benefits of using NFT and sentiment analysis in the tourism economy are the promotion and presentation of major tourist destinations, exhibitions, works of art, and companies’ products in tokens, digital content and souvenirs. The adoption of sentiment analysis and NFTs in the tourism economy is still open to proposals for implementing public quantitative data metrics. Therefore, the scientific contribution of this research is essential in terms of operational recommendations and defining metrics for measuring the effectiveness of those methodologies and their applications in the tourism economy. On top of that, the practical contribution lies in monitoring the influx of tourists, and highlighting their increase over time and the significance of new technology in time series tourism research.

This study investigates the environmental and socioeconomic dimensions of domestic cycling tourism in Slovenia, focusing on “double pollution” and “greenhushing” practices. The aim is to evaluate the sustainability of cycling tourism by examining its indirect environmental impacts, particularly emissions from ancillary travel behaviours such as car usage to reach cycling destinations. Utilizing data from 2011 to 2021, this research employs factor analyses using the principal component analysis (PCA) extraction method and vector autoregression (VAR) modelling to explore relationships between key socioeconomic, environmental, and tourism-related variables. This study identifies three common factors influencing cycling tourism: (1) socioeconomic and urban dynamics, (2) tourism-driven environmental factors, and (3) climatic sustainability challenges. Results highlight that cycling tourism contributes to emissions due to associated car travel, counteracting its eco-friendly image. Findings reveal that favourable economic conditions and urbanisation drive tourism demand, while increased tourist arrivals correlate with higher emissions. This study also uncovers greenhushing, where stakeholders underreport the environmental costs of cycling tourism, leading to mistaken perceptions of its sustainability. This study concludes that, while domestic cycling tourism supports economic growth and health, its environmental benefits are compromised by ancillary emissions. Transparent environmental reporting, enhanced public transport, and local bike rental systems are recommended to mitigate these challenges and align cycling tourism with Slovenia’s sustainability goals.

This study investigates whether Slovenia can learn from the Netherlands to enhance its bicycle commuting culture and how e-bikes can improve cycling performance among its residents. The research utilises secondary data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia and Statista, covering variables such as bicycle sales, gross domestic product, and urbanisation rates from 1997 to 2024. The data are analysed using Vector Auto Regression (VAR). The results reveal that urbanisation positively influences both traditional and e-bike demand, highlighting the importance of improved cycling infrastructure. However, GDP negatively impacts bike demand, suggesting affordability issues that could hinder adoption without financial support. These findings indicate that e-bikes play a transformative role, particularly in overcoming Slovenia’s hilly terrain and long-distance commuting barriers, with evidence of substitution effects between traditional bicycles and e-bikes. Lessons from the Netherlands emphasise the integration of cycling with public transport, financial incentives, and cultural promotion of cycling. Slovenia’s growing e-bike market signals a promising shift towards sustainable mobility, but strategic investments in infrastructure and policies are crucial.

This study explores the evolution of cycling in Istria, a region located in parts of Slovenia and Croatia along the Northern Adriatic coast, recognised for its vibrant tourism sector. The research aims to evaluate the potential of cycling for both daily commuting and tourism while examining its economic, environmental, and social impacts. The study uses secondary data from 2010 to 2023, econometric methods, and interviews to assess how cycling contributes to economic growth, regional collaboration, employment rates, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Slovenia, regression analysis indicates that bicycle imports positively correlate with tourist arrivals, which positively influences GDP. However, VAR analysis shows that employment has a negative impact on GHG emissions. In contrast, the increase in bicycles contributes to higher GHG emissions, suggesting the possibility of greenwashing or double pollution. In Croatia, regression coefficients were found to be insignificant, aligning with insights gained from interviews. Nonetheless, VAR analysis reveals that tourist arrivals and GDP positively reinforce each other, while GHG emissions negatively affect employment. Bicycles are shown to reduce GHG emissions, and tourist arrivals are also associated with lowered GHG emissions. The study concludes that cycling holds significant potential for fostering sustainable tourism and regional development; however, the differing impacts observed in Slovenia and Croatia necessitate tailored policy interventions. The hypothesis is partially confirmed in Slovenia, where bicycle imports positively impact tourist arrivals and GDP but are challenged by increased GHG emissions, while in Croatia, the hypothesis is not supported by direct economic gains from cycling. However, bicycles contribute to reducing GHG emissions.