THE SYNERGY BETWEEN GASTRONOMY AND ACTIVE TOURISM  AS INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL WELLNESS AND SPA  DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT - SOKOBANJA CASE STUDY

Martina Arsić; Aleksandra Vujko; Dragan Nedeljković

doi:10.59267/ekoPolj2501357a

Authors

Martina Arsić Singidunum University, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5709-1561
Aleksandra Vujko Singidunum University, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8684-4228
Dragan Nedeljković Institute of Agricultural Economics, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8391-9703

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59267/ekoPolj2501357a

Keywords:

gastronomy, active tourissm, rural destination, wellness and spa, Sokobanja

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between recreation and gastronomy as key indicators of sustainable development in spa destinations. The research sought to answer two main questions: “What significance do recreation and active tourism hold for tourists?” and “What type of gastronomy attracts tourists to destinations?” The data from collected 243 respondents, comprising guests of the Sunce Hotel, Golden View Garni Hotel, and visitors to the Zelengora restaurant in Sokobanja, were analyzed using factor analysis. The authors conducted the research using two questionnaires. The findings of the first survey revealed a strong inclination to relaxation of both mind and body. Additionally, the results of the second survey indicated that a unique gastronomic experience is a significant motivator for tourists. Both indicators have a positive impact on tourists’ overall well-being and foster loyalty to the destination. In conclusion, active, gastronomic, wellness, and spa tourism have a beneficial influence on the tourist destination of Sokobanja. The study proposes a unique model that can be applied to all rural spa destinations.

Downloads

References

Alexander, R.R., Aragón, R.O., Bookwala, J., Cherbuin, N., Gatt, M.J., Kahrilas, I.J., Kästner, N., Lawrence, A., Lowe, L., Morrison, G.R., Mueller, C.S., Nusslock, Rr., Papadelis, C., Kelly L., Polnaszek, S., Richter, H., Silton, L.R. & Styliadis, C. (2021). The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and well-being. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 121, 220-249, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.002.

Arsić, M., Vujko, A., & Knežević, M. (2024). Development Perspectives on Wellness and Spa Tourism in the Context of Tourism Business Sustainability. Sustainability, 16, 8760. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208760.

Balderas-Cejudo, I., Patterson, G., Leeson, W. (2019). Senior Foodies: A developing niche market in gastronomic tourism. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 16, 100152, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2019.100152.

Bastenegar, M. (2019). From Gastronomy Tourism to Creative and Sustainable Tourism of Gastronomy Case Study: 30 Tir Street Food in Tehran. MANZAR. the Scientific Journal of landscape, 11(49), 26-37. https://doi.org/10.22034/manzar.2019.199092.1993

Bell, S., Tyrväinen, L., Sievänen, T., Pröbstl, U., & Simpson, M. (2007). Outdoor Recreation and Nature Tourism: A European Perspective. Living Reviews in Landscape Research, 1. https://doi.org/10.12942/LRLR-2007-2.

Bessière, J. (1998). Local Development and Heritage: Traditional Food and Cuisine as Tourist Attractions in Rural Areas. Sociologia Ruralis, 38, 21-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00061.

Bjelić, K., Vujko, A., & Panić, A. (2024). Comparative analysis of the tourist destinations competitiveness in function to improve the tourist offer - Kranjska Gora and Zlatibor case study. The European Journal of Applied Economics, 21(2), 88 – 106, https://10.5937/EJAE21-50045,

Bojović, P., Vujko, A., Knežević, M., & Bojović, R. (2024). Sustainable approach to the development of the tourism sector in the conditions of global challenges. Sustainability, 16(5), 2098. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052098,

Colas, C., Hodaj, E., Pichot, V., Roche, F., & Cracowski, C. (2024). Impact of spa therapy on physical activity, sleep and heart rate variability among individuals with fibromyalgia: Results of an ancillary study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 57, 101879, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2024.101879.

Dimitrovski, D., & Todorović, A. (2015). Clustering wellness tourists in spa environment. Tourism Management Perspectives, 16, 259-265, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2015.09.004.

Djordjevic-Milosevic, S., & Milovanovic, J. (2012). Održivi turizam u funkciji ruralnog razvoja: Mala poljoprivredna gazdinstva i ruralni turizam u Srbiji. Izdavač: Fakultet za primenjenu ekologiju Futura, Univerzitet Singidunum, Beograd; Agroznanje, Vršac; FAO, Budimpešta. https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.4392.8326.

Fernández-Gámez, A.M., Rosales-Pérez, A., Molina-Gómez, J. & Mora-Lucena, L. (2018). The effects of outdoor training on the development of emotional intelligence among undergraduate tourism students. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 23, 39-49, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2018.06.001.

Gyasi, M.R., Accam, T.B., Forkuor, D., Marfo, O.C., Adjakloe, D.A.Y., Abass, K., Donne, A., Boampong, S.M. & Adam, M.A. (2023). Emotional and physical related experiences as potential mechanisms linking physical activity and happiness: Evidence from the Ghana Aging, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behavior Study. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 42, 113-121, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.12.023.

Hanna, P., Wijesinghe, S., Paliatsos, I., Walker, C., Adams, M., & Kimbu, A. (2019). Active engagement with nature: outdoor adventure tourism, sustainability and well-being. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27, 1355 - 1373. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2019.1621883

Hjalager, A. M. & Richards, G. (Eds.). (2003). Tourism and gastronomy. London: Routledge. https://mint.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/2023_dokumenti/230614_prirucnik_gastro_t.pdf

https://sokobanja.rs/aktivnosti/eko-turizam/ (pristup: 15.08.2024)

Juan, M., Berbel-Pineda, B., Palacios-Florencio, J., Ramírez-Hurtado, M., Santos Roldán, L. (2019). Gastronomic experience as a factor of motivation in the tourist movements. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 18, 100171, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2019.100171.

Jurišić, M. (2024). Specifičnosti ruralnog turizma u Republici Hrvatskoj i komparacija s određenim turističkim odredištima. Zbornik radova – 4. međunarodna znanstveno-stručna konferencija za razvoj ruralnog turizma „Holistički pristup razvoju studijskih programa menadžmenta i turizma“, Zagreb: Vimal Akademija, str. 44-56.

Kim, J.M. & Hall, M.C. (2022). Does active transport create a win-win situation for environmental and human health? The moderating effect of leisure and tourism activity. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 52, 487-498, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.08.007.

Knobloch, U., Robertson, K., & Aitken, R., (2017). Experience, Emotion, and Eudaimonia: A Consideration of Tourist Experiences and Well-being. Journal of Travel Research, 56, 651 - 662. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287516650937.

Koščak, M., & O’Rourke, T. (Eds.). (2023). Ethical and Responsible Tourism: Managing Sustainability in Local Tourism Destinations (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003358688

Krunić, N., Stojmenović, G., & Kukolj, S. (2023). The role and significance of audit sampling in the modern enterprise. Oditor, 9(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.5937/Oditor2301001K

Ladkin, A., Hemingway, A. & Crossen-White, H. (2021). Health, active ageing and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 2(2), 100030, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annale.2021.100030.

Lakićević, M., Pantović, D., & Fedajev, A. (2024). Investigating Factors of Customer Loyalty Formation for Wellness Spa. Management:Journal of Sustainable Business and Management Solutions in Emerging Economies, 29(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.7595/management.fon.2021.0031

Miletić, R., Pantović, D., & Veliverronena, L. (2023). Dark tourism in Serbia: Case study of the Kragujevački oktobar Memorial Park. Hotel and Tourism Management, 11(1), 127–144. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2301127M

Milanović, V., Bučalina Matić, A., & Jurčić, A. (2023). The internal green marketing dimensions, employees’ satisfaction, and employees’ organizational identification. Oditor, 9(1), 47-70. https://doi.org/10.5937/Oditor2301047M

Milojević, I., Mihajlović, M., & Pantić, N. (2020). Collection and documentation of audit evidence. Oditor, 6(2), 77-90. https://doi.org/10.5937/Oditor2002077M

Mora, D., Solano-Sánchez, M., López-Guzmán, T., & Moral-Cuadra, S., (2021). Gastronomic experiences as a key element in the development of a tourist destination. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 25, 100405. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJGFS.2021.100405.

Nikolic, Lj., & Stankovic, S. (2008). Sokobanja 1837-2007, Soko Banja: Organization for Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Pyo, S. (2005). Knowledge map for tourist destinations — needs and implications. Tourism Management, 26(4), 583-594, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2004.03.001.

Panić, A., Vujko, A., & Knežević, M. (2024): Rural tourism impact on the life quality of the local community: a case study of Western Serbia. Economic of Agriculture, 71(3), 733–753. https://doi.org/10.59267/ekoPolj2403733P

Pantovic, D. ., Parausic, V. ., Radosavljevic, K. ., & Mihailovic, B. . (2025). Rural tourism and local authority satisfaction: Social, economic, and environmental effects . Journal of Tourism Management Research, 12(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.18488/31.v12i1.4088

Pantović, D., Vasović, N., & Mura, L. (2023). Bibliometric analysis of contemporary trends in cultural tourism. Anali Ekonomskog fakulteta u Subotici, 59(49), 85-97.

Rangus, M., Petek, V., & Gačnik, A. (2023). Sustainable gastronomy tourism as a tool of local development–the case of the Posavje region. InM. Koščak & T. O’Rourke (Eds.), Ethical and Responsible Tourism (pp. 472-484). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003358688

Reitsamer, B., & Brunner-Sperdin, A. (2017). Tourist destination perception and well-being. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 23, 55 - 72. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766715615914.

Seyitoğlu, F., & Ivanov, S., (2020). A conceptual study of the strategic role of gastronomy in tourism destinations. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/e9za6.

Santiago, K., Yanes, A., & Mercado-Caruso, N. (2024). Analyzing Correlations in Sustainable Tourism Perception: Statistical Insights from Diverse Caribbean Colombian Tourist Sites. Procedia Computer Science, 231, 490-495, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.12.239.

Tomić N., & Košić K., (2020). Developing the Spa Assessment Model (SAM) and its application on the Kopaonik-Jastrebac spa zone (Serbia), Tourism Management Perspectives, 36, 100753, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100753.

Vodeb, K., & Nemec Rudež, H. (2017). Which attributes are important to tourists in a mature seaside destination? A case of Opatija in Croatia. Tourism: An international Interdisciplinary Journal, 65, 267-269.

Vujko, A., Cvijanović, D., & Berjan, S. (2024). Gastronomija kao indikator održivog razvoja ruralnog turizma. Fakultet za turizam i hotelijerstvo u Vrnjačkoj banji, Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, ISBN: 978-86-89949-84-1, UDK: 338.48-44(122):502.131.1641.5, COBISS.SR-ID: 153656329, Str. 280.

Vujko, A., & Delić Jović, M. (2024). Posebni oblici turizma u funkciji održivog razvoja ruralnih destinacija. Fakultet za turistički i hotelijerski menadžment, Univerzitet za poslovne studije, Banja Luka. Naučna monografija. ISBN 97899955-95-36-4, COBISS.SR-ID 140204289, str. 176.

Vučićević, S., Vujko, A., & Knežević, M. (2024). The role of cycling tourism in the function of sustainable development of Arilje. BizInfo, 15(2), 1-10 https://bizinfo.edu.rs/index.php/bizinfo/article/view/346/284

Weber, K. (2001). Outdoor adventure tourism - a review of research approaches. Annals of Tourism Research, 28(2), 360–377.

Winter, P., Selin, S., Cerveny, L., & Bricker, K. (2019). Outdoor Recreation, Nature Based Tourism, and Sustainability. Sustainability. 12(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010081

Zhu, D., & Xu, H. (2022). Novice tourists’ play experience in commercial outdoor adventure tourism: The perspective of reversal theory. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 39, 100529, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2022.100529.