TOURISM IN FUNCTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GRADAC RIVER IN SERBIA

Increased actuality and significance of the concept of sustainable development has dramatically changed the flow of tourism activities that used to be oriented towards environmental goals. Appropriate environmental protection management is the basic precondition for the development of tourism in future. The main goal of the sustainable tourism is to enable people to enjoy and gain knowledge about the natural, historical and cultural characteristics of the environment, while encouraging the economic development and well-being of the community and future generations. Regarding the importance of sustainable tourism, the paper explores the possibilities of developing the destination of the Gradac River in Serbia. The research emphasizes the tourism potentials of the Gradac River gorge as a region of exceptional characteristics, but at the same time the challenges of sustainable development of this destination have been analyzed.