Boris Prevolšek / Črtomir RozmanAnalysis of the Efficiency of Tourist Farms in Slovenia

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„The monograph deals with the technical efficiency of tourist farms in Slovenia, which the authors assessed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) methods.

Thus, based on six inputs and four outputs, six different models were developed to evaluate the efficiency of tourist farms. Using the DEA method, the authors first developed input- and outputoriented BCC and CCR models, followed by the AHP method, first a model that included the same criteria as DEA models, and in the second AHP model they included additional, non-numerical, criteria, with by which the authors upgraded the DEA method. The main conclusions reached by the authors through the research process are that there are possible improvements at all levels of efficiency, as well as on the criteria of the additional offer of tourist farms, which were analyzed in the AHP model with additional criteria. They also note that according to the estimated efficiency, the ranking of tourist farms differed according to the two methods. One of the key findings of the monograph is that within the group of farms that were assessed as efficient by DEA, the AHP model enabled a more accurate ranking of them.

Despite the growing importance of tourist farms for the economic development of rural areas and for the very existence of farms, the field of research into the effectiveness of tourist farms is insufficiently researched. This kind of methodological approach has not yet been used in Slovenia, which can represent an opportunity to consider technical efficiency in other areas of tourism and beyond.

The contribution or the originality of the monograph mainly refers to the inclusion of additional nonnumerical criteria in the analysis of the efficiency of tourist farms through multi-criteria analysis and thus the upgrading of the DEA method with the AHP method.“

Prof. dr. Ivo Grgić

„This book delves into a very timely issue of tourism farms efficiency. At slightly over 100 pages the authors present scientific work with valuable methodological and practical contribution. More specifically, investigating farms efficiency has the potential to improve food production chain (SDG 2.3), and using AHP and DEA for modelling efficiency informs about methods, tools and KPIs for effective monitoring of farming and rural tourism. Especially methodological contribution is extremely important because it tests and validates the AHP and DEA research models in Slovenia, where the two methods were never applied before. I find each testing of research methods in different contexts super important for validation and improvement of existing research methods. The authors use this contribution as one of the cornerstones for justifying the need for the book; and I commend that.

The introduction communicates the awareness of authors, not just about the need to measure tourism farms efficiency, but also the need to find research methods with high levels of suitability for and validity in various research contexts. Given the research rigour used, findings have high validity and reliability, which substantially increases practical contribution of the results. Authors adequately justify methodological and contextual contribution of the monograph; thus, I expect successful uptake of the book among scholars, practitioners and policy makers.

Style of the monograph follows the well-established IMRAD approach, starting with the introduction of the research context and concepts, followed by research methodology, results/analysis and discussion/conclusions. As integral part of the monographs’ style, I find the narrative and the language very reader-friendly, although a bit specific (typically expected) for the methodological contribution, which again promises that the book will be well accepted among the targeted readership (e.g. scholars and researchers, higher degree students, practitioners as well as policy makers). The book has the potential to inform policy makers in the field of farming and rural tourism on how to monitor and use monitoring data for improving EU farming and rural tourism policies.

Third chapter explains research methodology in details. The latter is needed to justify the methodological contribution of the monograph. The authors managed to successfully explain research methodology; hence, gaining trust in research validity and reliability of the empirical section. More specifically, each of the used models (DEA and AHP) are systematically explained and supported by thorough explanation of variables and mathematical procedures for testing relationship between inputs and outputs of tourism farms efficiency. Although, rather small sample of 45 research farms (decision making units) represents a very heterogeneous sample of tourism farms in Slovenia (using geographical location, quality, specialization, property structure); allowing pretty reliable assumption of generalizability at the level of tourism farms in Slovenia. In addition to heterogeneous sample of 45 tourism farms, the research involved four outputs and 55 criteria (drivers of outputs). Such theoretically supported use of variables mix substantiates the rigour and reliability of findings.

Fourth chapter is the most extensive part of the monograph. Authors start by descriptive presentation of the research sample and follow with a quite detailed inferential statistics. Authors continue with comparison of the two models and its suitability and comprehensiveness in the context of determining tourism farms efficiency. What I also like is that the authors avoid using acronyms which always substantially limit the extent and correctness of the uptake; especially among practitioners. Key contribution of the monograph is that tourism in Slovenia farms are comparatively efficient and that either DEA or AHP produce similar results. This is important also because it eliminates the need to use both models in determining the efficiency of tourism farms.

It can be concluded that the monograph is an important contribution to the field of tourism farm efficiency. Its methodological contribution informs scholars and policy makers about the rigour and validity of DEA and AHP models in measuring tourism farms efficiency. Its empirical or descriptive contribution compares (for the first time) the efficiency of tourism farms in Slovenia with tourism farms at global level and it provides empirical evidence on the drivers of tourism farms efficiency.

I highly recommend the book to emerging scholars interested in tourism farms efficiency, rural tourism scholars and students (higher degree) and policy makers.“

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emil Juvan