Slobodan Glišić

The study examines the economic feasibility of procuring local agricultural products in small and medium-sized hotels, emphasizing key factors influencing managerial decision making. By integrating perceived cost savings, supplier reliability, customer demand, and regulatory support, this research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the benefits and challenges of local sourcing in the hospitality sector. The empirical analysis is based on a survey conducted among hotel managers in Serbia, utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the significance of proposed relationships. The findings confirm that supplier reliability and customer demand play a crucial role in shaping procurement decisions, while cost savings and regulatory support also contribute to economic feasibility. These results align with existing studies on sustainable procurement and local supply chains in tourism, reinforcing the importance of fostering stable partnerships between hotels and local producers.

Ajvar is a pepper-based relish that represents a mixture of roasted sweet peppers. As a domestic agricultural food product known as vegetable caviar, ajvar is consumed in small portions, cold, in addition to the main meal, or as a spread. This paper investigated the composition of domestic ajvar made of Capsicum annuum L. sweet peppers. Bioactive compounds, mineral matters, moisture, ash, crude protein, and total fat content were analyzed. The identification of bioactive compounds is done using the UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method. The content of mineral matters, in the ajvar sample, has been investigated by ICP-OES. Moisture and ash content are determined by using gravimetric methods, while the Kjeldahl method and Soxhlet extraction were used for crude proteins and total fats content determination, respectively. Out of the bioactive compounds several organic acids and flavonoid derivates were successfully identified in the ajvar sample. Investigation of mineral compositions showed high levels of sodium (3571.703 mg/kg) and potassium (2172.695 mg/kg), as well as the presence of some significant microelements such as zinc (10.740 mg/kg) and copper (4.480 mg/kg). The obtained results of moisture content (73.04%), ash (2.53%), crude proteins (1.78%), and total fat content (9.21%), have further confirmed that ajvar is quite nutritious and can fit into various diet plans.

Purpose - Food waste management is becoming an increasingly significant global challenge, especially in the hospitality industry, where large amounts of waste are generated, leading to negative environmental, social and economic consequences. This research explores how tourists perceive food waste in Serbian hotels, aiming to uncover the main psychological drivers that influence their intentions to minimize such waste. Methodology - The study uses an adapted Norm Activation Model (NAM) to analyze the effects of awareness of the consequences of food waste, sense of responsibility and personal norms regarding tourists' intentions. Results - The results indicate that these factors significantly contribute to shaping sustainable behavior, with awareness of the consequences being the most critical. Implications - Incorporating psychological insights into food waste strategies, as suggested by the findings, could serve as a catalyst for implementing sustainable measures in hospitality services.

This study investigates the perceptions of employees in the hotel industry of the Republic of Serbia regarding the acceptance and importance of artificial intelligence (AI). Through a modified UTAUT model and the application of structural equation analysis (SEM), we investigated the key factors shaping AI acceptance. Research results show that behavioral intention and habit show a significant positive impact on AI usage behavior, while facilitating conditions have a limited but measurable impact on behavioral intention. Other factors, including social influence, hedonic motivation, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy, have minimal influence on the examined variables. The analysis reveals the crucial mediating role of behavioral intention, effectively bridging the gap between various predictors and AI usage behavior, thereby highlighting its significance in the broader context of technology adoption in the hotel industry. The primary goal of the study, which closes significant research gaps, as well as the manner in which it uses a specific model and statistical analysis to accomplish this goal, shows how innovative the work is. This method not only broadens the field’s understanding but also offers valuable insights for shaping sustainable development practices in the hospitality sector in the Republic of Serbia.

The tourism industry is one of the industries most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Understanding the motivation for travel is essential for the tourism development of the destination and long-term business. This study used the pushpull-mooring model (PPM model) to explain the factors that influence the decision of tourists to visit agritourism destinations in Serbia after the Covid-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on the economic factors of travel. The results obtained by multiple regression analysis indicate a significant effect of economic, as well as other factors within the model, on the decision of tourists. The significance of the research is reflected in the creation of a realistic picture of the influence of factors on tourists’ decisions, and therefore on the creation of future management steps in the management of an agro-tourism destination.

One of the key issues in the field of process systems engineering is the issue of sustainability. In addition to economic and energy efficiency, the processes must also be environmentally sustainable, which will minimize the harmful impact on the environment. For this purpose, various methods are used that are based on the use of process heuristics, thermodynamic analysis and mathematical programming. In a systematic way, they enable the identification of places of inefficient use of raw materials, water and energy, as well as minimizing the discharge of waste streams from the process, while respecting the principles of reuse, regeneration, recirculation and prevention of pollution at source. From all the above, it can be concluded that systemic methods are of great importance in the development of environmentally sustainable processes and the implementation of the concept of zero emissions in the chemical industry. The paper presents the possibility of obtaining a conceptual solution in which the complete integration of water in the process (zero liquid discharge) is achieved on a concrete example of designing and optimizing an integrated water network based on superstructure and mathematical programming.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant extract of Fumaria officinalisL., (AgNPs-E), as a reducing and capping agent, is presented in this study. Formation of AgNPs-E is monitored by...