Stereotypes and Prejudices as (Non) Attractors for Willingness to Revisit Tourist-Spatial Hotspots in Serbia

Abstract

Despite the fact that the topic of the influence of stereotypes and prejudices on the loyalty and willingness of tourists to visit a destination again is increasingly common in world publications, researchers have yet to examine this relationship. The aim of this research is precisely to assess the influence of stereotypes and prejudices (S&P) in the system of other attractors of tourist visits, on the loyalty and willingness of foreign visitors to revisit Serbia as a tourist destination. It is known that Serbia possesses large natural and anthropogenic resources as a basis for tourism development, but it is also known for numerous prejudices and stereotypes, which can potentially dictate loyalty to the destination and the behavior of tourists. The results obtained by the Path analysis show that stereotypes and prejudices, among 892 randomly selected foreign tourists, have a more significant direct influence on the dimensions of loyalty and revisiting Serbia compared to other factors. Further analysis showed that foreign tourists consider the Serbian people to be arrogant, with expressed nationalism and a preserved traditional social approach, as well as that middle-aged tourists show the highest loyalty and willingness to visit again after evaluating all the aforementioned factors. Limitations of the research were related to a lack of understanding of the language and non-cooperation on the part of the respondents. The results of the research have theoretical and applied importance as information for future research in Serbia and beyond, but also for improving the management strategy of tourism development.