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The objective of this paper is to emphasize, branding as one of the possible ways to take concrete steps towards reaffirming the local values and traditional knowledge of rural populations in Serbia. Based on information gathered in the field, as well as from existing literature sources, the main goal of this study is to promote products from the Visok microregion. Due to very alarming demographic data, this may be the last chance for revitalizing this region. In this study, we highlighted the following products: Pirot kilim (Pirot rug), Pirot/Stara Planina lamb, Pirot Kachkaval cheese, Stara Planina honey, and Stara Planina potato. Besides agriculture, micr oregion Visok also has exceptional tourist potential. The conclusion of this paper emphasizes that the only viable path to revitalization is through planned investment. Such investment would facilitate the development of local infrastructure and help restore the population, thus enabling the creation of sustainable development.

This paper analyses the conditions and possibilities with regard to preserving vernacular architecture in the area of Stara Planina Mountain, Serbia. The field research, conducted from 2003 to 2015, recorded and documented architectural heritage in the villages on the western slopes of Stara Planina Mountain. The areas of Gornji Visok and Zabrdje on the slopes of Vidlič were primarily explored. Considering that the valuable architectural heritage in this area is in a state of alarming threat, and disappearing at high speed, the article discusses the possibilities with regard to its preservation through the formation of an architectural reserve, as a spatially defined and functionally unique place based on a synthesis of created and natural heritage. The reserve's structure would consist of architectural cores that are entire villages, or isolated localities with authentic houses of vernacular architecture. The architectural cores would be interconnected by road infrastructure, forming a specific architectural route. The constituent elements of the reserve would also include natural heritage, and geomorphological, geological, hydrological and hydrogeological features. The formation of the architectural reserve also aims to utilise built and natural structures, educate inhabitants and visitors, and develop tourism. In that way, the potential for financing the preservation of the unique architectural heritage of Stara Planina could be initiated.

In the late 20th and early 21st century, together with global spread of technology, labor, capital, transport and communication tourism take a prominent place in the global industry. Consequently, it took the lead role in both the economic and regional development of most countries. However, such a development has caused tourism to become one of the main factors of great environmental pollution. For this reason, the focus of modern tourism is on a new concept, known as sustainable tourism. Sustainable development of this industry is seen as an important theoretical and practical problem of modern economics, and other sciences. Sustainability embraces economic, ecological and social development component, and it is therefore difficult to realize, especially in societies where environmental awareness is not developed enough. Although it is still an unpolluted area, given the effort and investment of Serbia as a country into the area of Stara planina mountain in order to make it an important tourist destination, sustainable management of all activities in this area becomes an imperative. In this paper the ANOVA statistical method will be applied to present the importance and relevance of the program of sustainability of rural tourism on Stara planina mountain in order to find out the degree of environmental awareness of service users, but also of the population of this area.

Planning of economic development, especially tourism, nowadays needs to be harmonized with the principles of sustainable development. The modern concept of sustainable tourism development includes not only ecological but also socio-cultural and economic sustainability. The concept of sustainability involves determining the limits of tourism development and defining the carrying capacity of tourist destinations. Closely related to sustainable development is the carrying capacity of tourist destinations, which implies its ability to develop tourism without violating the surrounding environment, whether natural, built, or socio-cultural. The aim of this paper is to determine the level of compliance of the previous and current plans and tourist development strategies in the Nature Park "Stara Planina" with the concept of sustainability and the concept of tourism carrying capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]