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Previous research on dark tourism in vulnerable post-conflict areas, such as South-Eastern Europe, has overlooked the nature of visitor personalities. Accordingly, the main purpose of the present study is to determine which personality traits (dark triad, sadistic impulse, and six personality traits) are related to preference for dark tourism sites. The sample consisted of 227 respondents from Serbia who completed an online questionnaire. Using a multivariate general linear model, it was found that respondents high in Machiavellianism tended to prefer dark exhibitions, while respondents high in psychopathy tended to prefer visiting conflict/battle sites. Visitors to fun factories as an additional type of dark tourism sites showed low levels of sadism, while narcissism showed no effect on preference for dark tourism sites. Hence, only agreeableness and honesty-humility showed a significant effect on preference for dark tourism sites (dark exhibitions and conflict/battle sites). These results show interesting differences in dark sites visitors’ personalities.

Youth migration has significant consequences that lead to depopulation and less sustainability of local business, which is particularly pronounced in rural areas. All of this contributes to the potential devastation of rural communities, an impact that could be highly significant and far-reaching. Entrepreneurship and the innovation it brings with it can be important markers for effective rural development if changes are needed. Therefore, the primary objectives of our research were to determine how socio-demographic factors determine the attitudes of young rural people regarding openness to entrepreneurship, whether young rural people believe they have the ability to engage in entrepreneurship and take actionable steps, and what is the relationship between openness and entrepreneurial capacity. The research was conducted from December 2023 to May 2024 among 299 participants in rural areas of two neighboring countries, Serbia and Croatia. The results indicate various factors that influence rural youth’s openness to entrepreneurship, such as unemployment, age and country of origin. Also, the results show a positive correlation between openness to entrepreneurship and the perception of personal capacities for entrepreneurial activities. In addition, the study found significant differences between respondents from Serbia and Croatia in the assessment of personal capacities for entrepreneurial activities. The results of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of how young people perceive and experience life in rural areas, and highlight potential challenges related to their specific needs. This insight enables key stakeholders to design programs that support youth in starting businesses and sustaining entrepreneurial ventures. Furthermore, the study offers both a theoretical and practical basis for future research, serving as a valuable guide for the improvement of rural communities, that is, guidelines for strategies that focus on inclusive development based on the revitalization of social frameworks.

Balanced territorial development and improving living conditions have become the focus of rural development policies. As the number of young people moving to cities or other countries is increasing, rural settlements face serious demographic disbalances and aging societies. Quality of life and place attachment are both key variables in enhancing the social and economic capacities of rural and undeveloped communities and reducing youth out-migration. However, this topic remains underexplored, especially among younger generations, who are critical for further socio-economic sustainability. Thus, the main goal of this study was to explore young residents’ perceptions about quality of life, level of attachment to their rural homes, and their interrelationship. This study was conducted among 299 participants in rural areas of Serbia and Croatia. The results identified two quality of life factors: (1) satisfaction with the quality of infrastructure and (2) satisfaction with culture and education. Three attachment factors were extracted, among which place identity was the strongest. Additionally, the influence of quality of life and socio-demographic characteristics on place attachment was confirmed. These results provide new insights that could be very useful in creating strategies and initiatives for rural planning and strengthening rural areas’ social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

BackgroundBesides the well known good side of social media, it cannot be denied some of its negative effects. This two-phase study aimed to find out whether the usage of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic showed some significant association with depression and anxiety symptoms, and levels of stress.MethodsThe study was based on the survey of 1,476 randomly selected students at the initial phase (December 2019 to February 2020), and 1,400 students of the same cohort at the follow up phase (December 2021–February 2022). The collected data included socio-demographics, social media usage aspects, and the ones concerning levels of depression, stress and anxiety symptoms. Standardized questionnaires – the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was applied to measure the levels of social media addiction, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 42) was administered to evaluate the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.ResultsThe comparison of responses regarding the six components of online social media addiction, which constitute the BSMAS, between the two phases of the study showed significant difference (p

Slow tourism is a type of alternative tourism that promotes the tourist experience by slowing down the pace, protecting the environment and improving of the tourist experience quality by engaging tourists with the place. It is a new idea that is gaining acceptance worldwide. This study is a reflection on how this type of tourism might grow in Vojvodina. The first goal of this study was to examine the characteristics of tourists who visited Vojvodina and to examine which destinations in Vojvodina are the most visited. Finally, the primary objective of the article was to investigate the motives travelers choose to travel to Vojvodina. Based on the research data of 243 participants who visited destinations in Vojvodina, two factors that motivate tourists (research and leisure) were identified, using the Exploratory Factor Analysis. Future studies on this subject in the surrounding countries can take advantage of the research methodology.

In Serbia, primary education is compulsory, and it lasts eight years with two educational cycles, while in the Czech Republic, primary education lasts nine years with three cycles. Analysis of the teachers` attitudes toward primary education in Serbia and the Czech Republic has a goal to determine the current educational state in the two countries. Also, in this research it has been shown if there are similarities, as well as differences between the two educational systems. Views of the teachers on this topic are significant for this paper, so the survey was used as an instrument. The survey should have revealed whether the primary education was in line with the need of modernization and enhancement of young peple’s intellectual potential. It was necessary to reveal if the education in the two countries is in accordance with the modern world and whether the teachers agree with this. One of the aims of the research was to determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the teachers’ answers and to relate those differences to the general educational situation in Serbia and Czechia.

Background and Objectives: The time of the pandemic brought great difficulties, both in state and interstate systems, industry, trade, and with individuals themselves. In addition, numerous studies have shown a drastic increase in mental disorders in people around the world. Therefore, the basic idea of our study was to investigate these disorders in university students in relation to their different lifestyles. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out at the University of Niš (Serbia) from December 2021 to February 2022. All of the participants were assessed by using appropriate questionnaires. The study included 1400 randomly selected students (692 females and 708 males). The statistical analysis of the data included the application of multiple regression analyses and correlation tests. Results: Statistical analysis indicates that extremely severe levels of depression symptoms were reported by 232 students (16.6%). Severe and extremely severe anxiety symptoms were reported by 480 students (34.3%). Multiple linear regression analysis found that for the increased depressive symptoms, the “most deserving” parameters were related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances (β = 0.10, and 0.11, respectively), compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. For anxiety symptoms, the main role was played by alcohol consumption (β = 0.11) but also by the use of social networks as an adequate substitute for deprived content during the pandemic (β = 0.13). Alcohol consumption was the most “responsible” for elevated stress levels compared to the period before the pandemic (β = 0.19). Conclusions: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were drastically increased in the university students. There was significantly more frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances among them. That is why social support from a close environment is the most important strategy in coping with mental health issues during emergency situations.

Within the concept of sustainable development, ecotourism has emerged as a special form of tourism aimed at preserving and protecting natural and cultural resources, but also at contributing to the well-being of the local community. Although today the importance of ecotourism is recognized worldwide, there are countries that, despite their natural wealth and potential, have failed to popularize ecotourism. Considering that Serbia is one of them, the main goal of this research was to reveal ecotourism constraints and reasons which prevent domestic tourists from visiting eco-destination. In addition, the study aimed to determine how well the respondents are informed and familiar with the concept of ecotourism. To achieve that, the survey was conducted among 379 participants, residents of Serbia in September 2019. The constraining scale has been created, and by applying exploratory factor analysis, four factors have been singled out (Fears, Lack of resources, Lack of information, and Disadvantages of the tourism product). The findings showed that the biggest constraint preventing domestic tourists from visiting eco-destinations is inadequate waste disposal at such sites. It has also been found that the respondents are highly constrained by the lack of information, time, and money. The results also reveal the degree to which other factors contribute to non-visits to eco destinations, but also which of them do not have a key impact on tourists' decision to avoid such locations. The paper additionally discusses the potential impact of a lack of ecotourism knowledge on the respondents' answers regarding ecotourism constraints in Serbia.

The stable isomers of the higher fullerenes C76-D2 and C84-D2:22, as well as fullerenes C60 and C70 were isolated from carbon soot by the new and improved extraction and chromatographic methods and processes. Characterizations of the C84-D2:22 isomer in this study were performed by infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopy. All of the experimentally observed IR and UV/VIS bands were in excellent agreement with the semi-empirical, DFT and TB potential theoretical calculations for this molecule. The molar extinction coefficients and the integrated molar extinction coefficients of the observed larger number of completely separated infrared absorption maxima and shoulders of fullerene C84-D2:22, as well as of its main convoluted maxima, in different and new relevant entire integration ranges, including neighboring, and all surrounding absorption shoulders were determined and their relative intensities compared. In addition, the molar absorptivity of the electronic absorption bands of this carbon cluster was found. The new IR and UV/VIS spectroscopic parameters that are significant for the quantitative determination, identification and numerous possible applications of C84-D2:22 are obtained and their changes compared to C76-D2 observed. Isolated and characterized C84-D2:22, as well as other fullerenes from this research can be used in electronic, optical, chemical and biomedical devices, superconductors, semiconductors, batteries, catalysts, polymers, sensors, solar cells, nanophotonic lenses with better optical transmission, refraction and wettability, diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical substances, such as those against diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, free radical scavenging, radio nuclear, antibacterial and antiviral agents that can inhibit HIV 1, HSV, COVID-19, influenza, malaria and so forth.

The principal aim of the paper was to examine what kind of experience international exchange students, as future professionals in tourism industry, gained during their study at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism in Phuket, Thailand. Thus, the paper deals with how often they encountered the unethical issues in the tourism industry, and how these issues affect their perception of the image of Thailand as a tourist destination. The paper also explores how formal education in Tourism ethics affects the perception of Thailand tourism unethical practices, and as such, it is one of the first studies in this field. In addition, the paper intends to show if there is a relationship between formal education in Ethics in tourism and the respondents’ experience and perception of unethical issues. The results show that these unethical issues have the significant and very strong influence on tourism perception of Thailand with a special emphasis on exploitation of women and children in sex tourism. Also, the study indicates that respondents who have a formal education in Ethics were more aware and had a clearer picture of the negative effect of these unethical issues on the image of Thailand as a destination.

The main aim of this research was to validate a Serbian adaptation of the Brand Personality Scale (BPS: Aaker, 1997) while applying it to tourist destinations. The BPS was developed as a measure of five personality traits of any kind of brand: Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness. In the first study that was carried out on 192 (76% female) tourists from student population, exploratory factor analysis of the BPS resulted in a four-factor structure: Competence, Excitement, Sophistication, and Sincerity. The factor Ruggedness was not extracted in this study. In the second study that was carried out on 490 (56% females)tourists from general population, the confirmatory factor analysis was applied in order to validate the four–factor solution from the first study. Results indicated that this solution, with certain allocations and reductions of items, reached a satisfactory fit. The factors Excitement and Sincerity mainly matched the same factors from the original Aaker’s model, while the factors Competence and Sophistication had somewhat different structure. The factor Excitement represented destination as vibrant, energetic, and youthful, while the factor Sincerity represented destination as honest, warm, and welcome. The factor Competence represented a successful and technically modern destination. It retained only two items from the original model (technical and leader), but the rest of items captured the same aspect of destination, such as contemporary and glamorous destination in which upper class status were featured. The factor Sophistication also retained only two items from the original model (feminine and good-looking), which were related to physical attractiveness and appearance, but the rest of the items captured skilled and industrious destination. It seems that sophisticated destinations are those that strongly rely on physical appearance to achieve success. It could be concluded that there is a cultural specificity in describing the tourist destinations.

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) have greatly expanded in both distribution and abundance during the last few decades, and are the most abundant cervids in Europe today. The aim of this paper is to determine the factors that have the most considerable impact on roe deer numbers in the Vojvodina region (North Serbia). Environmental (area in ha, total area of forest and total area of meadows and pastures in hunting ground) and anthropogenic (number of registered hunters, number of hunting sections, number of gamekeepers and roads in km on 1,000 ha) factors had been shown to influence the number of roe deer in Vojvodina region. A multiple regression analysis was carried out as the main statistical approach. The mapping of certain parameters was done using ArcGIS 9.2 software in order to establish the relation between the roe deer population and the different environmental and anthropogenic conditions. The results signify that the roe deer number dependency in the Vojvodina region is a very complex and multi-factorial phenomenon, strongly influenced by human induced modifications.

Tuzla Canton (TC) has experienced a certain economic transformation and gradually started turning from an industrial region into a region of tertiary and quaternary activities, also notable in the strategic documents of the Canton. The present research was conducted during the years 2012 and 2013 with the aim of determining the attitudes of employees in the tourism sector of TC regarding the condition, i.e. the prospects of TC tourism. In July of 2012, using a structured questionnaire, persons employed in travel agencies and TC hotels were surveyed in relation to the following issues: what is, in their own opinion, the determining factor for a tourist in choosing a tour package in TC as a destination; how would they assess the tourist’s motives for choosing TC as a destination; how would they characterize (assess) the value factors of the TC tourist offer. The conducted research indicates that employees in the tourism industry have formed perceptions of TC as a tourist destination: it is a destination where tourists feel pleasant and happy to stay at; it has outstanding natural attractions, a welcoming environment and solid accommodation and catering potentials. However, elements that need improving and further development are highlighted as well. Methods used for collecting, processing and analyzing data are: historical, descriptive, comparative. Frequency analysis was conducted using the SPSS statistical program (version 20). The research results can help the tourist destination management, in this case TC, but also all segments of the tourism industry of TC, improve their offer and communication with a potential tourism market