Application of tourist function indicators in tourism development

Abstract

Tourism development planning requires consideration of indicators regarding the intensity of tourist activity within destination and measure that should not be exceeded in further improvement of this activity, in order to prevent disturbing the needs of local community and sustainability of local environment. The village Zlakusa is located within the territory of the City of Užice and it represents an important tourism destination of South-western Serbia. Rural tourism of Zlakusa is characterized by its authenticity and recognition, regarding the pottery and ethnopark called “Terzića avlija”. Accordingly, tourist function indicators were used in this research: tourist accommodation density, Defert Baretje’s index, Charvat’s index and Schneider’s index, with the aim of emphasizing the importance of rural potentials of Zlakusa for tourism development within this village, but also within the whole territory of the City of Užice. Research results showed that tourism is important industry within Zlakusa, with necessity of its further affirmation on tourist market and its adaptation to contemporary needs of modern tourists. Also, research results showed that Zlakusa participates in total tourist arrivals with 18%, as well as in total tourist overnights with 13% and it comprises 1.9% of accommodation capacities of the overall tourism development within the City of Užice for observed period (2008-2016). Therefore, results of this study actually show that Zlakusa is highly oriented towards tourism industry, which is the main reason of necessity for further improvement of conditions for its development, especially in the case of rural tourism, without threatening the local community and local environment.