ANALYSIS OF VISITS TO TOURISM DESTINATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Tourism destination is a system that contains a number of elements which directly and indirectly affect the formation of the destination as a tourist system. One of the basic features of the destination as a system is the complexity that varies depending on the territorial coverage, and this complexity implies that there are several different resources and factors in the destination, which can be found in very different correlations. The conceptual framework of destination-level tourism emphasizes the interdependence of the basic elements of the tourism system within the dynamic and continuous process of change. Tourism is one of the key elements in the development of not only some individual tourism destinations and countries, but also of the global economy. The activities that tourism economy consists of have become some of the leading branches of the world economy. Tourism has become a particular mass phenomenon, and the expansion of tourism is most often characterized by the statistical data on the constant increase in the number of visits and revenues in world tourism. The statistical data indicate that during their development, tourism and the tourism industry face many different challenges. This paper investigates theoretical points related to tourist destinations, i.e. to spa, mountain and urban tourism. In order for a location to become a popular tourist destination, it must include natural resources and attractions. It is also necessary to make decisions on the development of the infrastructure and tourist facilities, investments, selection and training of adequate tourism employees, how to promote tourist attractions in such a way that their specific features are best represented to potential visitors. The competitiveness of a tourism destination is reflected in its ability to attract tourists, provide them with high quality and attractive tourist services and thus win the market share in both domestic and foreign markets. However, the tourism market is facing a major challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The epidemic that began in the beginning of 2020 has grown into a global crisis. The World Health Organization has declared it a global pandemic. The tourism market has changed, with large changes in the number of tourist visits and overnight stays. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present the events in the most visited tourist destinations in Serbia due to the crisis caused by the pandemic. This paper investigates the visits of leading tourist destinations in Serbia, as well as the comparison with the previous year. Although the impact of the pandemic on tourism attracts the attention of many researchers, this topic, given the great amount of uncertainty that still persists, is not relevantly expressed in the scientific literature.