Our Researcher:

Dr. Marija Lazarev

 

 

Dr Marija Lazarev is a hugely experienced academic, who has taught tourism-related subjects and mentored PhD, Master’s and Bachelor’s dissertations at top higher educational institutions, business schools and universities in Switzerland and France since 2006. Formerly part of the Glion faculty for more than a decade, in early 2024 she returned to the school to become Program Director for two leadership-focused programs, including our flagship graduate degree: the Master’s in Hospitality Business Leadership. Outside of her teaching and dissertation mentoring roles, Marija also boasts extensive research interests, having earned a summa cum laude for her doctoral thesis. She has been published in academic and professional journals and collaborated on book chapters, as well as presenting at many international conferences.

Research Project: Destination competitiveness, Culture and Heritage tourism and regional clusters: case of Macedonia(s)

Abstract

The research on cultural identity and state on one side and the destination competitiveness on the other, have gained in importance in the research on Cultural and Heritage Tourism recently. North and Greek Macedonia, the region shared between 2 states, is developing their tourism product within a very particular political and economic context. Is the dissonant heritage preventing or stimulating the destination development and is there a space for the regional cluster development in the current situation?
Perspective of different stakeholders, the academics, state officials and tourism strategy developers is necessary in order to understand whether they have a common doctrine and avoid the gap in the service provision and policy making processes in this demand-led part of the industry.
This research adds an additional perspective to the current Competitiveness theory as the Culture and Heritage is recognized as a core attractor, but the dissonant part is not incorporated.