Sanja Kovačić

Dr. Sanja Kovačić

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

12Years (2015-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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7 October 2015 in Open Geosciences
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SKSanja Kovačić
Sanja Kovačić
NTNemanja Tomić
Nemanja Tomić
Serbia represents one of those countries whichhave not yet differentiated themselves on the worldtourism map. However, it has an immense but still unrevealedpotential for geotourism development. In this paperwe analyzed several remarkable canyons and gorgesof great scientific importance and geotourism potential.These sites include the Djerdap Gorge and Lazar RiverCanyon, located in Eastern Serbia and the Ovcar-KablarGorge and Uvac Canyon located in Western Serbia. One ofthe main goals of this paper was to analyze and comparethe current state and tourism potential of these geosites byusing the M-GAM model for geosite assessment. However,the principal aim of the paper is to analyze how importantis each subindicator in the assessment process for differentmarket segments. In this paper, we also analyzed howgiving different importance to subindicators can influencethe position of the geosites in the matrix indicating differentassessment done by two chosen market segments.The research showed that general geotourists appreciateconsiderably different values when assessing a geosite incomparison to pure geotourists. The paper can be used asframework for developing the tourism management strategyof geosites taking into consideration the needs andpreferences of the target market segments.

1 January 2016 in Tourism Management Perspectives
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SKSanja Kovačić
Sanja Kovačić
NTNemanja Tomić
Nemanja Tomić

21 May 2021 in Sustainability
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MĆMilan / Ćulić
Milan / Ćulić
Miroslav Dusan VujicicMiroslav Dusan Vujicic
Miroslav Dusan Vujicic
ČKČaslav Kalinić
Časlav Kalinić
MDMilosav Dunjić
Milosav Dunjić
Uglješa StankovUglješa Stankov
Uglješa Stankov
ŽAŽeljko Anđelković
Željko Anđelković
Emerging tourism destinations repeatedly face many managerial challenges, often leading to common pitfalls and rookie mistakes. The current study aims to analyze relationships between destination attractiveness factors (Destination Amenities, Tourism Infrastructure and Accessibility, Active Family Destination, Hospitality and Services, and Social–Safety–Economic Values), satisfaction, destination image, and revisit intentions to test a mediating role of satisfaction between destination attractiveness factors and both destination image and revisit choices within so-called rookie destinations. For this purpose, a quantitative study was carried out using a questionnaire as an instrument for data collection. Data were collected from a sample of 2030 visitors to Serbia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) in R was applied to analyze the data. The results revealed the positive direct effects of destination attractiveness factors on satisfaction, destination image, and revisit intentions. Moreover, the research confirmed the mediating role of satisfaction in the relationship between destination attractiveness and destination image, and revisit intentions. The results are further discussed from the perspective of emerging tourism destinations to make their management more sustainable for the future and mitigate the repetition of rookie mistakes.

4 February 2022 in Sustainability
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SKSanja Kovačić
Sanja Kovačić
Tamara JovanovicTamara Jovanovic
Tamara Jovanovic
Miroslav Dusan VujicicMiroslav Dusan Vujicic
Miroslav Dusan Vujicic
Alastair M. MorrisonAlastair M. Morrison
Alastair M. Morrison
James KennellJames Kennell
James Kennell
Understanding activity preferences and their antecedents is essential for creating personalized tourism offers and effective destination marketing, vital components of a sustainable tourism destination. Previous studies have provided insights into tourist behavior and activity choices, but without research on activity preferences and their relationship with perceptions of destinations. The literature still lacks an integrative model exploring the antecedents of activity preferences, including tourist characteristics, destination personality, and destination image, and explaining the nature of the relationships between them. This research proposes and tests a structural model of individual characteristics, destination image, destination personality, and activity preferences. A survey was conducted on a sample of 502 visitors to The Trail of Roman Emperors in Serbia. The results confirmed the influence of personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness) and destination personality (sincerity and ruggedness) on activity preferences. Additionally, the model revealed the significant influence of individual characteristics on perceptions of destination personality and image. Managerial implications were given in light of the importance of this research for destination branding that will support long-term destination sustainability.

11 June 2018 in Open Geosciences
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ÐMÐurđa Miljković
Ðurđa Miljković
SKSanja Kovačić
Sanja Kovačić
LMLjupče Miljković
Ljupče Miljković
SMSlobodan B. Marković
Slobodan B. Marković
TLTin Lukić
Tin Lukić
BRBranko Ristanović
Branko Ristanović
Hydrological heritage is a relatively new concept in the field of geosite assessment. The principal aim of this study is to apply M-GAM (Modified geosite assessment model) for comparative analysis of the Krupaja spring and the Žagubica (Mlava) spring, located in Homolje area, in Eastern Serbia. According to the classification of geosites of Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, these sites are on the list of protected sites (“hydro(geo)logical” heritage sites) of extraordinary national importance; however, they still have not gained necessary recognition in Serbia. Thus, their assessment according to different target groups should provide a clearer picture of their current condition. As M-GAM considers that not all indicators for evaluation of geosites are of the same importance, this paper applies two methods for comparing and determining the importance of indicators and subindicators in the model (Analytical-hierarchy process (AHP) and descriptive statistics conducted by SPSS). Also, it is assumed that different target groups will give different importance to some indicators in the model, which would result in various evaluation scores for the same geosites. The paper also provides a comparative analysis of the assessment carried out by two different target groups – potential geotourists and geoexperts. The results obtained by AHP and descriptive statistics are quite similar, which confirms the reliability of respondents’ answers and the results gained. The analyzed sites are differently positioned in the evaluation matrix, and implications are further discussed in the paper.

22 March 2023 in Journal of Vacation Marketing
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Journal Article
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Aleksandra TešinAleksandra Tešin
Aleksandra Tešin
SKSanja Kovačić
Sanja Kovačić
Sanja Obradović StrålmanSanja Obradović Strålman
Sanja Obradović Strålman
Providing memorable experiences is considered very effective strategy for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Memorable tourism experience (MTE) is still a relatively novel concept, hence its antecedents and outcomes are not completely identified. The primary goal of this research was to explore tourist personality and travel motivation as antecedents and the perceived destination personality, satisfaction, and revisit intention as outcomes of an MTE. The study was conducted on a sample of 614 foreign visitors to three biggest urban destinations in Serbia (Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Nis). For testing hypothesis, SEM (structural equation modelling) was applied. The results show that personality trait openness to experience and motivational factor knowledge and experience showed the strongest influence on MTEs. Also, all seven dimensions of memorable experience affected perceived destination personality. Practical implications and potential future research approaches are also highlighted in the conclusion.