Advancing Agritourism Through Hospitality 4.0: Lessons from Werfenweng for the Western Balkans

Aleksandra Vujko; Drago Cvijanović; Goran Maksimović

doi:10.30858/zer/211831

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Advancing Agritourism Through Hospitality 4.0: Lessons from Werfenweng for the Western Balkans

Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej

Volume 386 (2026): Issue 1 (March 2026)

By: Aleksandra Vujko , Drago Cvijanović and Goran Maksimović

Open Access

|Mar 2026

Abstract

Aim

This study explores stakeholder perceptions of readiness for Hospitality 4.0 across five Western Balkan countries – Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Albania – through a cross-national, comparative research design. Grounded in the hypothesis that the integration of Hospitality 4.0 technologies drives sustainable and competitive rural tourism, the study aims to assess current digital capabilities, identify structural drivers of transformation, and support informed policymaking. The central research question asks how prepared rural tourism stakeholders are to adopt Hospitality 4.0 technologies and how benchmarking can guide sustainable, innovative, and competitive development.

Material and methods

Using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM), the research identifies key dimensions of digital transformation in rural tourism. Benchmarking is conducted using the example of Werfenweng, Austria – a model destination for sustainable tourism and soft mobility – to generate context-sensitive recommendations for the Western Balkans.

Results

The research identifies three key dimensions: Invisible Innovation, Digital Readiness, and Empowered Transition. These dimensions are shown to be interrelated and collectively enhance sustainability, innovation capacity, and long-term competitiveness in the region's agritourism sector. The study tests several sub-hypotheses related to stakeholder empowerment and digital maturity.

Conclusions

The study concludes that tailored Hospitality 4.0 integration can support sustainable rural development. Context-sensitive strategies, inspired by best practices, should focus on infrastructure, education, and local empowerment to ensure that digitalization in agritourism is inclusive, effective, and future-oriented.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30858/zer/211831 | Journal eISSN: 2392-3458 | Journal ISSN: 0044-1600

Journal RSS Feed

Language: English

Page range: 54 - 58

Submitted on: May 16, 2025

Accepted on: Oct 8, 2025

Published on: Mar 27, 2026

Published by: The Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics – National Research Institute

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

Keywords:

Hospitality 4.0,

agritourism,

Digital Readiness,

sustainable development,

Western Balkans

Related subjects:

Business and economics,

Agribusiness, food industry

© 2026 Aleksandra Vujko, Drago Cvijanović, Goran Maksimović, published by The Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics – National Research Institute
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 386 (2026): Issue 1 (March 2026)