OBSTACLES OF COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN VUKOVAR-SRIJEM COUNTY

Purpose Purpose of the paper is to determine and analyze obstacles of tourism development in Vukovar-Srijem County. The main focus of this paper is put on analyzing obstacles of tourism development in the County by using the theoretical knowledge about community-based tourism. One of the key objectives is to emphasize the importance of local community in the process of creating tourism product, as they are affected by it either directly or indirectly. Methodology A desk research method is used for creation of theoretical framework and identification of key obstacles to community-based tourism development. For the purpose of primary research, a deeply structured online questionnaire was created. The main objective of the survey is to identify the level of awareness about tourism development benefits among local residents included in tourism offer. Findings Based on the conducted research, it is possible to conclude that there is still not enough cooperation between public and private sector within this area. Additionally, authors identify main challenges and provide recommendations for the future tourism development in Vukovar-Srijem County. Contribution This paper provides thorough theoretical overview of the tourism development theory, with special emphasis on community-based tourism as one of the key potentials in Vukovar-Srijem County. Primary research provides insight into current state of awareness of local service providers about potentials of tourism development within their area, but more importantly, about key obstacles they are faced with. By combining theoretical and empirical conclusions, authors provide recommendations for future improvements.