Is a return to the past a chance for a sustainable future: Case study - ethno household "Merak"

Nostalgic tourism, as a ubiquitous trend in the global tourism market, allows tourists to, through an authentic experience, briefly return to some past times and connect with the cultural and natural heritage of the rural area. In addition to strengthening the market position, this form of tourism creates economic and ecological benefits for local communities and thus contributes to the revitalization of rural areas and sustainable development. In order to determine whether the development of nostalgic tourism can be based on the principles of sustainability and to what extent it contributes to the preservation of the ecosystem, an interview was conducted with the owner of the ethno household "Merak" in Vranje. The aim of the paper is to investigate how this form of tourism encourages ecologically responsible development, but also to point out the key challenges which affect long-term sustainability and the creation of synergy between the preservation of tradition and economic progress. The results of the paper contribute to the stakeholders in tourism to direct the available resources towards the development of this increasingly important form of tourism and thereby establish the economic and ecological prosperity of local communities.