The paper analyzes tourist consumption and tourist traffic in the Republic of Serbia throughout the 2015-2024 period, with special reference to the economic implications and development perspectives of tourism. In addition was performed an analysis of trends, ie changes in tourist consumption, as well as the dynamics of arrivals and overnight stays of both domestic and foreign tourists. The results indicates three clearly defined development phases of tourism: the phase of stable growth (2015—2019), the phase of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), and the phase of intensive recovery and expansion (2021—2024). Total tourism consumption achieves a significant growth after 2021, with the dominance of northern Serbia, while the south region achieves gradual and slightly slower development. The analysis of arrivals and overnight stays shows stable growth of domestic tourism, pronounced resilience and effective postcrisis recovery. The obtained results confirms that tourism in Serbia has significant potential for economic development contribution, employment and regional balance, with the necessity of strengthening the institutional framework and applying the principles of sustainable development. This article provides an empirical basis for the formulation of effective policies to improve the competitiveness and sustainability o f the tourism sector of the Republic of Serbia.
Pantić et al. (Wed,) studied this question.