Co-authored with Klicek, T. and published in Turyzm (2008), 18(2), 43-58 (ISSN 0867-585)

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe had led to profound geo-political changes. The instability caused by civil unrest and war for independence, led some post-socialist countries in South-eastern Europe lagging behind in socio-economic development. One of the affected countries was Serbia, which experienced economic stagnation and a halt on tourist activities in result of the unrest of the 1990s. Serbia is now trying to gain a relevant position in the international tourist sphere and is undertaking serious efforts to improve tourism in four key clusters. One of these clusters is Vojvodina, where numerous volunteer tourism activities have been promoted, providing socio-economic development in local communities. This paper discusses the importance of volunteering as a strategy for developing tourism in Serbia, which is still suffering, economic and socially, from damages caused by war. It presents the state of the art of tourism in Serbia and outlines the situation of tourism in Vojvodina. Furthermore, through the case study of the Volunteer Centre of Vojvodina, the paper addresses how volunteering activities can contribute to tourism development.