TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF SPAS AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
Keywords:
spa, tourism, transformation, development
Abstract
Transformation process of traditional spas into integrated tourist destinations represents a major structural transformation in the contemporary tourism development. Most of the spas in the Republic of Serbia have gone through this process. The aim of the paper is systematisation of transformed spa and climatic resorts and examination of the connection between the process of their transformation and local economic development. Comparative and correlation analysis are applied in the paper. The research results show that the transformation process of spa and climatic resorts is not related to the current development level of the local self-government units which they belong to. Given that tourism can undoubtedly be considered as a driver of economic development, the creators of regional and local development policies in the Republic of Serbia should take advantage of the completed transformation processes of a significant number of spa and climatic resorts. It should be put to the function of balanced development and the reduction of local and regional development disparities.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Alcalá-Ordóñez, A., & Segarra, V. (2023). Tourism and economic development: A literature review to highlight main empirical findings. Tourism Economics, 31(1), 76–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/
13548166231219638
Arsić, M., Vujko, A., & Knežević, M. (2024). Development perspectives on wellness and spa tourism in the context of tourism business sustainability. Sustainability, 16(20), 8760. https://doi.org/
10.3390/su16208760
Cristian-Constantin, D., Radu-Daniel, P., Daniel, P., Georgiana, C. L., & Igor, S. (2015). The role of SPA tourism in the development of local economies from Romania. Procedia Economics and finance, 23, 1573–1577. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)00400-1
da Costa Guerra, R. J., dos Santos, N. N. P., & Gonçalves, E. C. (2022). Health and Wellness Tourism: Contributions to a Local Sustainable Development Strategy. In Cultural sustainable tourism (pp. 219–233). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07819-4_19
Frederick, M. (1993). Rural tourism and economic development. Economic Development Quarterly, 7(2), 215–224. https://doi.org/
10.1177/089124249300700207
Gnjatović, D., & Stanišić, T. (2019). Possibilities of granting regional state aid for direct investment in spa areas in Serbia. In B. Krstić (Ed.) Bulding national economy competitiveness (pp. 105–120). Faculty of Economics, University of Niš.
Joppe, M. (2010). One country's transformation to spa destination: the case of Canada. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17(1), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1375/jhtm.17.1.117
Kurek, K. A., Heijman, W., van Ophem, J., Gędek, S., & Strojny, J. (2020). Geothermal spas as a local development factor, the case of Poland. Geothermics, 85, 101777. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.geothermics.2019.101777
Law on spas (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 80/92 and 67/93 – other law and 95/2018 – other law). Retrieved March 20, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/skupstina/
zakon/1992/80/1
Ljubisavljević, T., & Gnjatović, D. (2020). Direct Investments in SPA Tourism of Undeveloped Rural Regions: Case Study of the Мunicipality of Kuršumlija. Economic of Agriculture, 67(1), 207–222. https://doi.org/
10.5937/ekopolj2001207l
Perić, L. G., Stojiljković, M., Gašić, M., & Ivanović, P. V. (2017). Perspectives of development of spa tourism in Serbia. Journal of Awareness, 2(3S), 597–614. https://doi.org/10.26809/joa.v2i0.78
Qian, F., & Shang, Y. (2022). The impact of regional economic growth and factor input on the convergence of health tourism industry-based on the data of 31 Provinces in China. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 881337. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.881337
Quintela, J., Costa, C., & Correia, A. (2017). The role of health and wellness tourism in sustainable territorial development. Tourism and Hospitality Journal, 9(2), 113–121. https://doi.org/10.57883/
thij9(2)2017.30467
Regulation on conditions and mode of attracting direct investments (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 37/2018). Retrieved March 27, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/
vlada/uredba/2018/37/1
Regulation on determining the criteria for awarding incentives in order to attract direct investments in the sector of hotel accommodation services (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 33/2019). Retrieved 27 March, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/uredba/2025/71/4
Regulation on Establishing the Single List of the Level of Development of Regions and the Local Territorial Units (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 104/2014). Retrieved March 20, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/
uredba/2014/104/1
Sinclair, M. T. (1998). Tourism and economic development: A survey. The journal of development studies, 34(5), 1–51. https://doi.org/
10.1080/00220389808422535
Skerritt, D., & Huybers, T. (2005). The effect of international tourism on economic development: An empirical analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 10(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/
00220389808422535
Szromek, A. R., & Polok, G. (2022). A business model for spa tourism enterprises: transformation in a period of sustainable change and humanitarian crisis. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(2), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8020072
13548166231219638
Arsić, M., Vujko, A., & Knežević, M. (2024). Development perspectives on wellness and spa tourism in the context of tourism business sustainability. Sustainability, 16(20), 8760. https://doi.org/
10.3390/su16208760
Cristian-Constantin, D., Radu-Daniel, P., Daniel, P., Georgiana, C. L., & Igor, S. (2015). The role of SPA tourism in the development of local economies from Romania. Procedia Economics and finance, 23, 1573–1577. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)00400-1
da Costa Guerra, R. J., dos Santos, N. N. P., & Gonçalves, E. C. (2022). Health and Wellness Tourism: Contributions to a Local Sustainable Development Strategy. In Cultural sustainable tourism (pp. 219–233). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07819-4_19
Frederick, M. (1993). Rural tourism and economic development. Economic Development Quarterly, 7(2), 215–224. https://doi.org/
10.1177/089124249300700207
Gnjatović, D., & Stanišić, T. (2019). Possibilities of granting regional state aid for direct investment in spa areas in Serbia. In B. Krstić (Ed.) Bulding national economy competitiveness (pp. 105–120). Faculty of Economics, University of Niš.
Joppe, M. (2010). One country's transformation to spa destination: the case of Canada. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 17(1), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1375/jhtm.17.1.117
Kurek, K. A., Heijman, W., van Ophem, J., Gędek, S., & Strojny, J. (2020). Geothermal spas as a local development factor, the case of Poland. Geothermics, 85, 101777. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.geothermics.2019.101777
Law on spas (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 80/92 and 67/93 – other law and 95/2018 – other law). Retrieved March 20, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/skupstina/
zakon/1992/80/1
Ljubisavljević, T., & Gnjatović, D. (2020). Direct Investments in SPA Tourism of Undeveloped Rural Regions: Case Study of the Мunicipality of Kuršumlija. Economic of Agriculture, 67(1), 207–222. https://doi.org/
10.5937/ekopolj2001207l
Perić, L. G., Stojiljković, M., Gašić, M., & Ivanović, P. V. (2017). Perspectives of development of spa tourism in Serbia. Journal of Awareness, 2(3S), 597–614. https://doi.org/10.26809/joa.v2i0.78
Qian, F., & Shang, Y. (2022). The impact of regional economic growth and factor input on the convergence of health tourism industry-based on the data of 31 Provinces in China. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 881337. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.881337
Quintela, J., Costa, C., & Correia, A. (2017). The role of health and wellness tourism in sustainable territorial development. Tourism and Hospitality Journal, 9(2), 113–121. https://doi.org/10.57883/
thij9(2)2017.30467
Regulation on conditions and mode of attracting direct investments (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 37/2018). Retrieved March 27, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/
vlada/uredba/2018/37/1
Regulation on determining the criteria for awarding incentives in order to attract direct investments in the sector of hotel accommodation services (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 33/2019). Retrieved 27 March, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/uredba/2025/71/4
Regulation on Establishing the Single List of the Level of Development of Regions and the Local Territorial Units (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 104/2014). Retrieved March 20, 2026, from https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/
uredba/2014/104/1
Sinclair, M. T. (1998). Tourism and economic development: A survey. The journal of development studies, 34(5), 1–51. https://doi.org/
10.1080/00220389808422535
Skerritt, D., & Huybers, T. (2005). The effect of international tourism on economic development: An empirical analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 10(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/
00220389808422535
Szromek, A. R., & Polok, G. (2022). A business model for spa tourism enterprises: transformation in a period of sustainable change and humanitarian crisis. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(2), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8020072
Published
2026-10-16
How to Cite
Stanišić, T., & Lazarević, S. (2026). TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF SPAS AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA. Tourism International Scientific Conference Vrnjačka Banja - TISC, 9(1), 182-192. https://doi.org/10.52370/TISC26182TS
Section
Articles
