Homogeneity of European Union and Western Balkan Countries According to Travel and Tourism Sustainability

Abstract

Managing the future policy and strategy of tourism development is becoming increasingly challenging due to the constantly changing environment. It is crucial to identify key dimensions and implement the concept of sustainable development to ensure tourism development is sustainable. This paper aims to research the dimensions of sustainable tourism development in European Union countries and the Western Balkans. The goal is to analyze the homogeneity of these countries in terms of sustainability of tourism and travel. Additionally, this paper aims to determine the level of deviation of the Western Balkans from the European Union countries in terms of economic, ecological, and social sustainability of tourism development. Identifying critical components of tourism sustainability in these countries is important for creating strategic guidelines to manage tourism and directing supply and demand in the dynamic tourism market.