Creating Opportunities for the Development of Craft Beer Tourism in Serbia as a New Form of Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

Beer may not be the oldest alcoholic beverage, but it is definitely among the most popular alcoholic beverages in Serbia today. The authors conducted a survey in 2019, during three major beer festivals, on a total sample of 542 festival visitors. The authors set the goal of the research: sensory preferences, habits, knowledge of the beer production process and a healthy lifestyle influence the choice of beer type, in respondents older than 18 years. Further, the goal was to investigate the extent to which craft tourism can be developed in Serbia, and to be an aid in sustainable tourism development. SPSS software, version 26.00, was used for data processing. Descriptive statistical analysis determined the average values for all items from the given research groups. The authors considered that, for determining the group of factors, which may have the strongest predictor power in predicting beer choice, the best results can be given by Binary Logistic Regression. The logarithm of chances, chances and probabilities has also been determined whether in some future period all festival visitors over the age of 18 will be chosen for craft beer instead of factory beer. The obtained results show that visitors mainly consume craft beer, and that sensory tendencies play a leading role in preserving and creating quality, as well as attracting regular consumers and visitors to craft tourism. The importance of the research is undoubtedly seen in resolving the existing doubts about the quality of beer and creating a craft tourist market in Serbia. In addition, the research can improve the measures around the creation of a recognizable identity of the Serbian beer festival, on the wider tourist market.