Tourism development in transition economies of the western Balkans - Addressing the seeming oxymoron of institutional voids and tourism growth

Tourism development in transition economies is characterized by hazards and incomplete setups. Tourists encounter lacking accommodation standard, full trash bins, insufficient health care and security infrastructure. Hence, tourism development actors in transition economies are often criticized for the incomplete touristic product. In this article we will have a more detailed look on this criticism and analyse the background of this discussion. We follow the criticism and analyse the given institutional constrains that influence tourism development in transition economies. We therefore question, what are the effects of these institutional constrains on tourism development in transition economies. We follow a qualitative approach with a single case study from a cross-border hiking trail in southeast Europe. Our data is based on secondary data, participant observer material and interviews with local actors. We demonstrate that transition economies face institutional voids, while performing well, when it comes to increasing tourism numbers. Therefore, the contribution aims on providing possible explanation on the obvious contradiction of a partly incomplete, but successful tourism product. The authors question the importance of classical quality criteria in case of the specific tourism product and the specific clientele while stressing the dimensions of authenticity, credibility and homogeneity of the given tourism setting.