Abstract
For better development of alternative tourism supply in mountain tourism destinations it is necessary to identify and evaluate tourism attractions that could be better valorised when creating tourism products. It is an essential part of the destination analysis to determine perception of local population and tourists when evaluating tourism attractiveness. Olympic Mountain Bjelasnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a representative case study of mountain tourism destination, whose recent phase of tourism development is characterized by a variety of tourism supply that allows practicing many forms of tourism with the dominance of the winter tourist season and the skiing tourism of mass character. The principal aim of the study is to determine the differences in the evaluation of tourism attractions of alternative tourism in tourism supply of Bjelasnica within and between group of local residents and tourists. Direct survey was conducted during the summer 2016 and sample included 98 local residents and 111 tourists. Results show: a) tourists evaluate most of attractions higher then local residents, b) some attractions are higher evaluated by younger and more educated local residents, c) older tourists evaluate cultural and historical heritage better, while tourists with college degree are most satisfied with tourism and recreational infrastructure considering the age, gender and level of education, and d) all clusters of attractions are rated as more attractive by tourists who stay at purpose-built mountain tourist resort Babin Do, compared to those in Bjelasnica's villages. Results can be applied as a guideline to raise local residents' awareness of tourism attractions and developing more specific tourism supply that will address not solely mass tourism, but also alternative forms of tourism.
Highlights
Mountain tourism with numerous types of activities represents one of the most significant forms of tourism (Heberlein et al, 2002; Yang et al, 2009; Voiculescu et al, 2012)
Tourists are more educated than local residents, which can be explained with negative demographic consequences of long term emigration of younger and more educated population from mountain area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with the fact that tourists in mountain tourism destinations are more educated than local residents
This stratification of participants was carried out because the main part of alternative tourism supply on Bjelašnica is concentrated outside of Babin Do, tourist resort mainly focused on mass ski tourism
Summary
Mountain tourism with numerous types of activities represents one of the most significant forms of tourism (Heberlein et al, 2002; Yang et al, 2009; Voiculescu et al, 2012). Bosnia and Herzegovina is endowed with hilly - mountainous relief that always had a place in its tourism supply. Together with Igman, Jahorina, Vlašić, Kupres and Blidinje, Bjelašnica is one of the leading ski resorts and the highest ski centre in Bos-. As a most common winter tourism activity became popular on Bjelašnica since 1950’s. First skis were brought in village Šabići in 1957 and during the 1957 and 1958 ski courses on Bjelašnica were organized. Mountain area of Bosnia and Herzegovina were very popular for hiking, mountaineering and skiing (Šehić, 1985), they are still not sufficiently well-established tourism destinations
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