In recent years, Serbia has become increasingly popular as a tourism destination, attracting travelers from the surrounding region, as well as Europe and even distant locations. The environmental impact linked with tourism activities, specifically their carbon footprints, has gained growing attention as sustainability becomes an important factor when discussing the future of tourism. This research, which is based on the DEFRA and ADEME methodologies using the Greentripper tool, examines the significance of carbon footprint estimations for incoming tourism in Serbia from a scientific standpoint. By considering the emissions produced from transportation, accommodation, and on-site activities, the results of 1,431,394,511 kg CO2e offer valuable information about the extent of carbon emissions linked to tourism movements. The primary driver of this carbon footprint is transportation (80.2%), on-site activities (15.2%), and housing (4.6%). The per capita tourism carbon footprint is 670 kg CO2e, which is lower compared to the values derived using general data and carbon emissions on a worldwide basis, which amount to 759 kg CO2e. These findings are essential for comprehending the environmental sustainability of tourism operations. Furthermore, carbon footprint assessments play a crucial role as a tool for making informed decisions and implementing initiatives to reduce carbon emissions in the tourism business. This could involve selecting environmentally friendly modes of travel, advocating for sustainable hotel choices, or integrating carbon offsetting activities into vacation packages. In addition, carbon footprint assessments promote transparency and responsibility in the tourism industry.

In contemporary tourism, gastronomic offerings increasingly go beyond the boundaries of mere taste enjoyment, becoming an important element of the sustainable development of destinations. At the same time, food safety is gaining importance as a key aspect of the tourist experience and trust in a destination. The research was conducted in Serbia, focusing specifically on agritourism farm stays known for their local food production and sustainable hospitality practices. This study highlights the crucial link between local agricultural practices and tourists’ perceptions of food safety, positioning food safety as a key dimension of both sustainable gastronomy and rural development. The research was conducted on a sample of 650 tourists in farm stays, using a structured survey questionnaire, with data analysed through descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that tourists highly value food safety, particularly in the context of local and traditional gastronomy, and that there is a significant correlation between the perception of food safety and the intention to revisit or recommend a destination. This study suggests that the integration of food safety standards into sustainable gastronomic practices is essential for enhancing competitiveness and building long-term trust among individuals of various sociodemographic profiles.

The readiness of tourists to accept innovative food is investigated in this research through the prism of the Protection Motivation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, combining two previously developed yet seldom researched psychological dimensions, namely, food neophobia as a restraining force and food involvement as a motivating force. The quantitative approach and the generation-by-generation analysis using partial least squares (PLS-SEM) and multiple group analysis were used to conduct the study on a sample of 985 domestic tourists in Serbia. The results suggest that food involvement eases openness toward gastronomic innovations and mitigates the negative impact of neophobia, whereas the generational differences reveal that younger tourists are more willing to be experimental, and older generations tend to be conservative in their food consumption. The study is relevant to the academic literature because it puts motivational and barrier factors into context within the PMT and TPB paradigms and provides operational implications for the design of tourism propositions that can be used to promote innovative and sustainable gastronomic experiences. The novelty of the present study is that it uses the hybrid model of food neophobia and food involvement in the generational context of a post-transition society, i.e., Serbia.

Research Question: What are the implications of the carbon footprint generated by foreign tourist transport in Serbia for sustainable tourism planning? Motivation: Low-carbon tourism is an important way for the tourism industry to achieve the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals and the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Previous research amply deals with the carbon footprint, but most research is focused on countries where tourism is developed. There are not many papers on the topic of carbon footprint in Serbia, so we considered this kind of research could be an important contribution. Idea: The idea is to analyze and quantify the carbon footprint caused by the transportation of foreign tourists in Serbia. The research is based on available data regarding the distribution and characteristics of foreign tourist arrivals in Serbia, with an analysis of regional differences between Belgrade, southeastern, northern, and west-central Serbia. Data: Using official tourism statistics, data on distances travelled, and recognized emission factors, this research quantifies the CO₂ emissions derived from air, road, and rail transport (1,213,835 tons of CO2 in total in 2023). The methodology includes spatial analysis of tourist arrivals that are spread across four different Serbian regions: Belgrade, Northern (Vojvodina) represented by Novi Sad, Central-Western represented by Zlatibor, and South-Eastern Serbia represented by Niš. The methodology considers short-haul destinations and long-haul destinations too. Tools: The descriptive statistics are use to present data, and also OpenStreetMap contributors and the GIS use to display the data on the map. Findings: In general, it is shown that air travel is the main contributor to emissions from intercontinental markets, particularly the USA and China. These destinations contribute significantly to most emissions: regional road travel also produces significant emissions for the tourists moving to different destinations after they enter the country. This shows that Belgrade is the centre for foreign tourists and hosts most emissions, while growing environmental pressure occurs in inland tourism centers such as Zlatibor and Niš. Importantly, this is in line with the promotion of low-carbon alternatives like rail to put tourists under lower pressure of emissions in their destination regions by optimizing tourist flows and enabling increasingly longer stays of tourists. Contribution: Hence, this research will give directions on the effective application of national tourism with environmental policy, also requesting integrated strategies linking the growth of tourism with Serbia’s sustainability commitments and global climate goals. It sets a basis for further studies and planning adjustment toward a more sustainable, low-carbon tourism sector.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being associated with the ways in which cultural heritage is preserved, presented, and promoted in tourism. Although AI offers new opportunities to enhance the visibility of gastronomic heritage, important questions remain regarding its relationship with authenticity, commercialization, and cultural identity. The aim of this study is to examine the role of AI in the transformation and preservation of Serbian gastronomic heritage from the perspective of hospitality and tourism employees, as they represent key stakeholders in the interpretation, promotion, and preservation of gastronomic heritage, as well as in the implementation of modern technologies within tourism practice. The research was conducted among employees working in restaurants, hotels, ethno-restaurants, agritourism farms, and tourism organizations in Serbia. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results indicate that employees perceive AI as having significant potential for the promotion, preservation, and transformation of gastronomic heritage. Furthermore, the Authenticity of Gastronomic Heritage was identified as a significant predictor of the Preservation of Gastronomic Heritage, while AI was positively associated with both the Authenticity of Gastronomic Heritage and the Transformation of Gastronomic Heritage. The findings also suggest that employees perceive commercialization not only as a market-driven process but also as a potential mechanism for enhancing the visibility and valorization of gastronomic heritage. Overall, the findings reflect the perceptions of hospitality and tourism employees and highlight the importance of aligning technological innovations with cultural values in the preservation and promotion of Serbian gastronomic heritage.