Ringer, Greg
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Greg Ringer, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
International Studies Program
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403 USA
tel: +1 541 346-5051
fax: +1 541 346-5041
email: gringer@uoregon.edu
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Browsing Ringer, Greg by Author "Vitić - Ćetković, Andriela"
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Item Open Access Bikes Without Borders: Transboundary Tourism, Collaboration, and Rural Development in Montenegro(Routledge, 2020) Ringer, Greg; Vitić - Ćetković, AndrielaThe end of the international embargo on Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 created growing visitor interest in the West Balkan region, and its natural and cultural heritage. Yet, political instability and lingering ethnic/religious strife limit tourism development in some inland and trans-boundary locations. Furthermore, the industry has been slow to create sufficient jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for economically deprived populations, while the governments of Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania prioritize mass development along the Adriatic coast instead. In response, this paper employs a strategic management approach to identify Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for successful, sustainable, and supportive bike tourism in Montenegro’s rural and cross-border communities. The goal is to ascertain whether bicycle tourism is a model for sustainable development in Montenegro and the West Balkan region (Lumsdon, 2000). Our initial analysis is informed by qualitative and quantitative data from bicycle tourists and regional proponents, and an assessment of existing tourism management practices and political processes. Collectively, the CSF provides prescriptive frameworks for efficient and affordable community-based bike tourism in Montenegro, and a blueprint to enhance the visitor experience for domestic and international tourists. A baseline is also established on which to measure and mitigate impacts as bike tourism evolves socially and spatially across the country. This knowledge is essential if Montenegro is to succeed as a bike tourism leader both regionally and globally.Item Open Access Branding post-conflict destinations: recreating Montenegro after the disintegration of Yugoslavia(The Haworth Press, 2007) Ringer, Greg; Vitić - Ćetković, AndrielaThis paper examines the challenges and opportunities of promoting Montenegro as a destination for sustainable tourism in the post-civil war era of the former Yugoslavia, given the country’s unique status as the world’s only self-proclaimed “ecological state.” There is no denying the recent history of ethnic violence and turmoil that divided the Balkans in the 1990s. Consequently, the incremental return of foreign and domestic visitors to Montenegro, as well as Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, represents a significant return to stability almost ten years after the fighting stopped. And the particular interest of many tourists in the biology and cultural geography of the region makes clear the potential usefulness of “green” branding for Montenegro to distinguish itself from its competitors in the Mediterranean, and to resurrect the country’s political image and visitor appeal through targeted environmental practices and promotions. The ability to embellish its “eco” credentials and image through complementary partnerships and policies that sustain both tourism and the nation’s economy would allow Montenegro to strategically and successfully position itself in the Adriatic travel market over the long term. Collaborative management and branding of World Heritage sites and transboundary parks for sustainable tourism will also enable Montenegro, and its former allies and foes, to restore the social and biological integrity and connectivity of a shared landscape severely degraded by a decade of war. In this manner, tourism can be a critical catalyst in overcoming the negative imagery and distrust which still impedes the Balkan’s ability to achieve greater political integration and prosperity in an increasingly unified Europe.