Development Perspectives of Rural Tourism Policy – a Comparative Study of Rural Tourism Competitiveness Based on Perceptions of Tourism Workers in Slovenia and Serbia

Abstract

This paper deals with the development of rural areas in Slovenia and Serbia. The article identifies the main characteristics of rural tourism competitiveness in Slovenia and Serbia, analysing the main contributions and making a series of proposals to guide a future research agenda. The aim of the paper is simplified and clarified around one clearly defined objective: point out the competitiveness of rural tourism. The data for this study was collected using Dwyer and Kim’s (2003) Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness to observe Slovenia’s and Vojvodina’s (Serbia) destination competitiveness. Determinants were assessed using a survey evaluating 24 indicators (demand factors and supporting factors), based upon a Likert Scale.