2026-07-12T01:18:11.224Z http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai

ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai:1:12050 2026-06-14T20:45:16Z 1

The impact of air transport on tourism and economic development in Southeast and Central European countries 2026 http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai/record/1/12050 https://www.konferencija2025.komorapirot.com/pdf/Zbornik-IX-2025.pdf Б. Рупић А. Панић М. Кнежевић This paper examines the impact of air traffic on tourism and national economies in Southeast and Central Europe using comparative data from IATA’s Value of Air Transport reports (2023–2024). The analysis covers Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, and the Czech Republic, focusing on aviation’s direct and indirect contributions to GDP, employment, connectivity, and affordability. Results indicate two dominant development patterns: a tourism-driven model, where aviation primarily supports inbound travel and hospitality employment (notably in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Croatia), and an industrial-integrated model, where aviation is embedded in diversified economies with strong infrastructure and manufacturing components (Austria and the Czech Republic). Emerging markets show rapid growth in connectivity and passenger traffic, while mature economies emphasize network efficiency and stability. The findings confirm that air transport significantly shapes tourism competitiveness, accessibility, and regional convergence. Sustaining this growth responsibly, through balanced transport and tourism policies, will be essential for ensuring aviation remains a cornerstone of sustainable economic and tourism development across the region. conferenceObject 29 42 Zbornik radova IX međunarodne naučno-stručne konferencije "Regionalni razvoj i prekogranična saradnja"