Retrospective of and prospects for the development and strategic planning of tourism in the mountain regions of Serbia

Following on from previous research, this paper provides a comparative retrospective overview of trends in the development of mountain tourism destinations (MTDs) in European countries and their influence on MTD development in Serbia. The prospects for developing tourism in the mountain regions of Serbia follow the European trends and experiences in sustainable MTD development. These trends and experiences should be selectively implemented and adapted to the social and economic conditions, the characteristics of Serbian mountain regions and the effects on the local and regional spatial development. The paper gives a critical view of the role of strategic planning in developing tourism in Serbian mountain regions. The problems that have influenced the prevailing uncontrolled development of MTDs, the marginalization of the role of strategic planning and the limited implementation of spatial planning in their development have been identified. The possibilities for achieving the coordinating role of spatial planning in strategic planning were assessed for the National Park and MTD Kopaonik. In this case the harmonization of the various sectoral plans and programs, the multisectoral coordination of development entities in the public sector, participation in the planning process and partnerships in decision making and implementation have been achieved in the process of spatial planning, and this should be implemented for other MTDs and improved in the future. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR 36036: Sustainable Spatial Development of Danube Area in Serbia and Grant no. 47027: Serbs and Serbia in the Yugoslav and International Context: Internal Development and Position within European/World Community