Dragan Vukolić

Research on artificial intelligence (AI) in tourism often emphasizes personalization and trust while overlooking how AI-generated recommendations direct tourists’ attention toward specific alternatives. This study examines the relationships between perceived AI-powered digital nudging, personalization, trust, and tourists’ evaluations and intentions regarding local food. Survey data from 390 tourists visiting rural and mountain destinations in Serbia were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that perceived AI-powered digital nudging is positively associated with perceived local food value and local food choice intention, whereas personalization shows no statistically significant relationship with perceived local food value. Trust is positively associated with choice intention but not significantly associated with perceived local food value. The relationship between digital nudging and environmental awareness is positive but weak. This study demonstrates that the perceived attention-directing role of AI recommendations represents a distinct dimension of gastronomic decision-making, suggesting that encouraging local food choices requires more than personalized recommendations alone.

This paper explores overtourism in the transitioning states of the Western Balkans through an exploratory qualitative multiple-case study. Using purposive sampling, data were collected through 120 semi-structured interviews with key local stakeholders, including residents, tourism employees, and institutional representatives from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia. The study examines the socio-economic, ecological, and political dimensions of overtourism across urban, cultural, religious, festival, and protected natural destinations. Thematic analysis revealed that excessive tourist inflows are primarily driven by uncontrolled tourism growth, weak institutional capacity, and limited community participation in destination governance. Issues such as gentrification, festival commercialisation, and increasing pressure on protected areas highlight significant differences between destinations with effective management systems and those lacking strategic governance. The study introduces the concept of political-institutional vulnerability as a key factor amplifying overtourism in post-socialist societies and proposes policy recommendations focused on inclusive governance, equitable distribution of tourism benefits, and alignment with sustainable development principles. By linking global debates with the specific realities of transition economies, the study provides an analytical framework for understanding overtourism in the Western Balkans and offers a foundation for comparative research in other transitional regions.

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming smart hotel services by simultaneously creating technological benefits and privacy-related concerns. Although previous studies have extensively examined the effects of AI and IoT on tourist experiences, they have predominantly adopted an individual perspective, with limited attention to potential interdependence among co-present guests. This study examines how technological benefits (AI usefulness, IoT convenience, and personalization) and technological risk (perceived privacy risk) are associated with tourists’ satisfaction and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention, while also investigating whether these outcomes exhibit dependence across social, spatial, and temporal structures of guest co-presence. The study draws on survey data collected from tourists staying in AI-and IoT-enabled hotels in Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia. The findings show that AI usefulness, IoT convenience, and personalization are positively associated with satisfaction and eWOM intention, whereas perceived privacy risk is negatively associated with both outcomes. Furthermore, technological benefit constructs exhibit significant positive indirect associations across guest co-presence structures, whereas privacy risk exhibits less consistently statistically significant indirect associations, particularly for eWOM intention. These findings indicate the coexistence of positive technology evaluations and privacy concerns and reveal different patterns of co-presence-associated interdependence rather than demonstrating that technological benefits statistically dominate privacy risks. These findings contribute to smart hospitality research by extending the benefit–risk perspective beyond exclusively individual-level evaluations and highlighting the importance of considering conditional interdependence among co-present guests when evaluating AI- and IoT-enabled hotel services.

Green innovations represent an important factor in the sustainable development and competitiveness of gastronomic tourism destinations. This study aims to examine the relationship between green innovations and the perceived sustainable competitiveness of gastronomic tourism destinations, while analyzing the mediating role of perceived gastronomic authenticity. The research was conducted on a sample of 245 stakeholders involved in the organization and implementation of five major gastronomic festivals in Serbia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and the proposed conceptual model was tested using the PLS-SEM method. The results indicate that green innovations are positively associated with perceived gastronomic authenticity and the perceived sustainable competitiveness of destinations. Furthermore, perceived gastronomic authenticity is positively associated with perceived sustainable competitiveness and mediates the relationship between green innovations and the perceived sustainable competitiveness of destinations. The findings suggest that the implementation of sustainable practices and the preservation of gastronomic authenticity are associated with stronger long-term sustainability and competitiveness of gastronomic tourism destinations, providing useful guidance for event organizers and tourism policymakers.

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.

In light of contemporary changes in gastronomic offerings and tourist behaviour, this study analyses the effect of the new trend of predefined consumption in the hospitality sector on guest experience in Southeast European countries (Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Croatia, and Montenegro). The aim was to examine how this model influences guests’ perception, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions regarding recommendation and revisit. The research included 1,295 respondents across six countries in the region. The results indicate that guests’ ecological awareness positively affects the acceptance of the predefined consumption concept, whereas perception and satisfaction did not emerge as decisive factors in shaping behavioural intentions. Differences in guest attitudes across countries revealed certain statistically significant findings. The study highlights the potential of cost transparency as a tool for building trust and enhancing the gastronomic offer, particularly in the context of sustainability. The findings may serve as a foundation for further research focused on sustainable gastronomy, cultural differences, and consumer behaviour in diverse settings.

The study applies a multiphase, multimethod research approach based on participatory methodology. It integrates the perspectives of professionals from the tourism and hospitality industry and academic experts with the aim of developing an integrated conceptual model of the influence of AI and IoT technologies on work processes, skill development, and job attractiveness in the industry. The research provides a comprehensive understanding of how digital technologies indirectly shape employment through changes in work organization and the development of transferable digital and socio-emotional skills. The paper aims to contribute to redefining the perception of work in tourism and hospitality by emphasizing the sector not only as a career choice, but also as a platform for acquiring skills transferable to other industries. The findings revealed that employees’ intentions to enter or remain in the industry are not directly influenced by AI and IoT technologies; rather, these effects are mediated through changes in work processes and, more importantly, through skill development. The study contributes theoretically by developing and empirically validating an integrated conceptual model that connects technology implementation, work transformation, skill development, and employment outcomes. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the importance of human-centered implementation strategies based on training, communication, and employee inclusion in order to maximize the benefits of digital technologies.

The study applies a multiphase, multimethod research approach based on the participatory methodology. It integrates perspectives of professionals in the travel industry and academic experts with the aim to develop an integrated conceptual model of the AI and IoT influence on work, skills development, and job attractiveness in the industry. The research provides a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which digital technologies indirectly shape employment through changes in work processes and development of transferable digital and socio-emotional skills. The paper aimed to donate to redefining the perception of work in tourism and hospitality, emphasizing the sector not only as a career choice but also as a platform for the acquisition of skills relevant in other industries as well. The outcomes revealed that the employees’ aspirations to enter or stay in the industry are not directly influenced by AI and IoT technologies; rather, their effects are mediated through changes in work processes and, more importantly, through the development of skills. The study contributes theoretically by evolving and analytically confirming an incorporated theoretical model that connects technology implementation, work transformation, skills development, and employment outcomes. Practically, the results underscore the importance of human-centered implementation strategies, emphasizing training, communication, and employee inclusion to maximize the benefits of digital technologies.

One of the most visible manifestations of overtourism is crowding; however, little is known about the psychological mechanisms through which crowds affect tourists. This paper presents the Fear of Crowding scale and supports its validity by demonstrating that it represents not merely a perception of density or risk, but a distinct emotional response with tangible behavioral implications. Based on data collected from three European countries, Serbia ( N = 432), Hungary ( N = 455), and Croatia ( N = 479), the study employed a multiphase validation process, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), tests of convergent and discriminant validity, and behavioral proxy prediction. The findings confirm the scale’s reliability and generalizability, showing that Fear of Crowding is a consistent predictor of avoidance behaviors and reduced intentions to revisit. Beyond its methodological contribution, the construct offers valuable insight into the psychological burden of overtourism and provides destination managers with a practical tool for developing more considerate, sustainable, and responsive tourism policies.