The Role and Importance of Transport within the Tourism Supply Chain

Abstract

AbstractThe efficiency of managing the supply chain is the precondition of competitiveness of all successful companies, including those from the tourism sector. It represents a great challenge to respond to tourist expectations and evaluations regarding the price/quality relationship of the tourism products, which predominantly depends on the strength and performance of all the links between tourism supply chain partners. Tourism supply chains involve many components: accommodation, transport, excursions, bars and restaurants, handicrafts, food production, waste disposal, and the infrastructure that supports tourism within chosen destinations. The importance of one such component, transport, for the efficiency of the tourism supply chain is precisely the topic of analysis within the paper. The analysis encompasses an empirical research focused on the business practices of tourism companies in the area of Western Serbia, aimed to identify the supply chain determinants, which predominantly define the satisfaction of users of tourism products. The results of the carried-out research indicate that transport services have a significant role in generating the satisfaction of users of tourism products, thus seriously determining the efficiency of the tourism supply chains. The development of efficient transport systems represents a base for expansion of tourism activities, both in Western Serbia and in any other part of the world.KeywordsTourism supply chainsTransportSupply Chain ManagementSerbiaJEL Classification CodesM20M21M29