ijems | scientific article Musicians,asanImportantBuilding BlockofMediterraneanRuralTourism aleksandra govedarica MediterraneanUniversity, Montenegro alexgovedarica@gmail.com nataša kraljevi MediterraneanUniversity, Montenegro natasa.kraljevic@unimediteran.net darko lacmanovi MediterraneanUniversity, Montenegro darko.lacmanovic@unimediteran.net urša lamut Rudolfovo–Science andTechnologyCentre Novomesto,Slovenia lamut.ursa@gmail.com predrag ljubotina SchoolofAdvancedSocialStudies inNovaGorica,Slovenia predrag.ljubotina@gmail.com andrej raspor SchoolofAdvancedSocialStudies inNovaGorica,Slovenia andrej.raspor@fuds.si bojan rojko SchoolofAdvancedSocialStudies inNovaGorica,Slovenia bojan.rojko@agencija-antonov.si ajda srdi SchoolofAdvancedSocialStudies inNovaGorica,Slovenia ajda.srdic@gmail.com Thispaperlooksintothesignificantroleofmusiciansinimproving ruraltourismofferings.Ruraltourismisoneofthemainpillarsof economicdevelopmentandculturalpreservationasitisatoolthat providesjobs,improvesthelocalqualityoflife,andsupportstheren- ovationofhistoricsites.Throughtheircreativity,musicianssafeguard andspreadintangibleculturalheritage,suchastraditionalmusicand dance,whichpositivelyinfluencesthefinancialperformanceofru- raltourismentrepreneurs.Musicfestivalsandeventsinthecountry- sidearealsoagreatsourceofruraltourism.Theybringinsubstantial revenueandhelpformafavorableimageofthedestination.Events inless-favoredareashaveattractedvisitorsbydiversifyingtourism offeringsandencouragingregionaldevelopment.Despitethis,their successiscontingentupongoodplanningandproperorganisation. Thisstudyinvestigatestheinfluencesoffactorssuchasstatesupport, proactivity,jobsatisfaction,luck,andpersonalitytraitsonthesuccess anddevelopmentofmusiciansinMediterraneancountries,specifi- callyinSloveniaandMontenegro.Ithasbeenrevealedthatinclud- ingculturalresourcesintotourismstrategies makesruralareasmore attractiveandcompetitive.Empiricalstudiesonruraltourismindi- volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 | 9–29 [10] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. catethatmusicianscontributesignificantlytoculturaltourismbyat- tractingvisitors,preservinglocalheritage,andstimulatingeconomic growth,therebysupportingthesustainabledevelopmentofrural areas. KeyWords:musicians,ruraltourism,Mediterraneanregion,state support,self-confidence ©2024AleksandraGovedarica,NatašaKraljević, DarkoLacmanović,UršaLamut,PredragLjubotina,AndrejRaspor, BojanRojko,andAjdaSrdić https://doi.org/10.70908/2232-6022/18.9-29 introduction This paper aims to determine the importance of the musician’s role in building the offer in a rural tourism destination. Rural tourism has become essential for economic growth and cultural preservation in many areas. It generates employment, improves the quality of life for localpopulationandfosterstherestorationandsurveillanceofhistoric places.Amongthevariousfactorsthatmakeruralplacesattractive,mu- siciansandfolkmusicdeserveauniqueposition.Theyplayacriticalrole indefiningtheidentityofruralareas,whichbecomemoreappealingto touristsinsearchofauthenticandimmersiveexperiences. Musicians,infact,bytheirartandperformances,contributetoboth preservingandpropagatingintangibleculturalheritage,suchastradi- tional music or dance. This cultural diversity can dramatically impact thefinancialperformanceofruraltourismentrepreneursbyattracting a broader variety of tourists. Traditional music is an important start inruraltourismdevelopment,asitprovidescreativeandengagingser- vices that fundamentally improve the competitive advantage of rural areas. Thisiswhymusicfestivalsandeventsplayasignificantroleinrural tourism.Notonlydotheycomprisealargeportionofrevenuethrough tourists spending on accommodation, food, and transportation, but they also helptocreate agoodimage ofthedestination. They are also effective instruments for regional development, attracting tourists to otherwise less popular regions and adding to tourism product variety. However,theoutcomeofsucheventsdependsonmusician’sreadiness tocooperateandtheirlevelofproactivity. Therefore, musicians are one of the essential backbones of rural tourismofferings.Theyprovidearichculturalexperiencethatmakesa ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [11] differenceinprovidingtourismproductsand,therefore,helpsthesus- tainabledevelopmentofruralareas.Theircontributiontoruraltourism drawsattentiontotheneedtoembedculturalassetsintotourismplans to increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of rural destina- tions. theoretical background Tourism has emerged as one of the largest and fastest-growing eco- nomicsectorsglobally,contributingsignificantlytointernationaltrade andemployment(Croce2018;Lew2011;Agbolaetal.2020).Despiteits economic importance, tourism faces challenges related to sustainabil- ity, inclusivity, and climate change (Croce 2018; Moreno de la Santa 2020; Scott et al. 2012). The industry’s growth has led to increased recognition of its potential to foster economic development and al- leviate poverty, particularly in developing countries (Saarinen et al. 2011). However, tourism’s vulnerability to external factors, such as the covid-19 pandemic, highlights the need to understand demand driversandpracticalstrategiesbetter(Agbolaetal.2020).Asthesector continues to expand, thereisa growing emphasis on mitigating nega- tiveimpactsandpromotingsustainablepractices(Croce2018;Willson 2015). Researchers cautionagainstovergeneralising tourism’s benefits and impacts, emphasizing the need for more nuanced approaches to addressitscomplexchallenges(Sharpley2012). Ruraltourismofferssignificanteconomicdevelopmentandcultural preservation opportunities in rural areas. It can create jobs, improve the local quality of life, and support the restoration of historic sites (Corina 2018). Musicians and traditional music play a crucial role in rural tourism offerings, contributing to the distinctiveness of desti- nations (Rudan and Stipanović 2021). Intangible cultural heritage, in- cluding music and dance, can positively influencethe financial results for rural tourism entrepreneurs (Starčević et al. 2022). Tradition, en- compassing music, dance, and local cuisine, is a key initiator of rural tourismdevelopment(Anticetal.2015).Ruraltourismcanstrengthen thecompetitivepositionofdestinationsthroughcreativeofferingsand private-sectorinvolvement(Gannon1994).Ithasthepotentialtobuild economicindependenceforruralcommunities,asevidencedbythesuc- cessoftouristvillagesinotherregions(Maretetal.2018;Triyantoet al.2018).Theinclusionofmusicindustryofferingscanbeleveragedto designculturalexperiencesfordemandingtourists(Vazetal.2017). volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [12] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. In both developed and developing countries, tourism is frequently supposed to be a viable means of raising the economic activity of re- gions. Additionally, developing a tourism industry has been noted to promote thedestination’s image, enablingtheregion toachieveother objectives,suchasbusinessrecruitmentandretention. Musicfestivalsandeventssignificantlyimpacttourism,particularly inruralandlesser-knowndestinations.Thisisespeciallytypicalforre- gions with a rich cultural tradition, which certainly includes Mediter- ranean countries. Music events can boost localeconomies by generat- ingrevenuethroughtouristexpenditureonaccommodation,food,and transportation (Baldi et al. 2022; Čekrlija and Milić 2024). They also contribute to destination image formation and place-making (Duarte etal.2018).Musictourismcanleadtoculturalchanges,affectinglocal musiciansandtraditions(BasuandImara2014;Stipanovićetal.2023). Festivals serve as key tools for regional development, attracting visi- tors to less-favoured areas and diversifying tourism offerings (Ribeiro et al. 2006). These events not only have economic impacts, but also bring social, cultural, and political implications for host communities (Dujmović and Vitasović 2012). However, the success of music events inpromotingtourismdependsonstrategicplanning,organizationand thewillingnessofmusicianstocontribute(ČekrlijaandMilić2024). Basedontheintroductionprovided,thefollowingresearchquestion could be formulated: How do factors such as state support, job satis- faction,luck,andpersonalitytraits(self-confidence,subjectivenorms, internal locus of control) influence the proactivity of musicians and, consequently,theirreadinesstobeinvolvedinthegrowthofruralmu- sictourisminMediterraneancountrieslikeSloveniaandMontenegro? hypotheses development Ruraltourismhasbecomeanincreasinglyimportantregionaldevelop- mentandre-imagingstrategyinMediterraneancountries,particularly as they face global rural restructuring challenges (Hall and Mitchell 2000).Previousresearchhasmentionedmusicasoneofthetraditional elementsthatcanattracttouriststoruralareas,alongsidedance,cloth- ing,andculinaryspecialties(Anticetal.2015).Integratingculturalre- sources, including traditional music, into rural tourism offerings can enhance the appeal of destinations and contribute to rural revitaliza- tion (Wang 2023). However, rural tourism development still involves a complex interplay of various factors, including natural beauty, lo- ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [13] caltraditions, and government policies(Anticet al.2015; Wang 2023). It’simportanttorecognizethatwhileruraltourismcanprovideop- portunities for economicdevelopment andjobcreation in rural areas, alsoitalsopresentschallengesandpotentialadverseimpacts(Bozetal. 2018;Saarinen2007).Sustainable ruraltourism developmentrequires careful planning and consideration of economic, social, and environ- mentalfactors(Bozetal.2018;Funetal.2014). Theinterplaybetweenstatesupport,proactivity,luck,andworksat- isfactioncreatesacomplexenvironmentforMediterraneanmusicians. While state support provides opportunities and resources, individual proactivity remains crucial for career advancement. The cultural un- derstanding of luck and fortune adds another layer to this dynamic, potentially influencing how musicians perceive and pursue opportu- nities. Job satisfaction, especially when combined with a supportive work-familyculture,canhelpsustainproactivebehaviorsandcommit- menttoone’smusicalcareerdespitechallengesanduncertainties. State support for the music industry varies across Mediterranean countries,withsomenationsrecognizingitspotentialasbothcultural and economic asset. A recent study in Kosovo found that the art and musicsectorhasshownconsiderablegrowthpotential,contributingto thecountry’sculturalandeconomicenvironmentbyprovidingemploy- ment opportunities (Breznica et al. 2024). The Kosovan music scene encompasses various genres, from traditional folk music to modern styles,cateringtobothlocalandglobalpreferences.SloveniaandMon- tenegrosharearecentpastwithKosovo,sowederivedhypotheses h1 and h2 basedonthesefindings. h1 The level of perceived state support differs between the ob- servedregions h1a Ahigherlevelofperceivedstatesupportleadstoahigherlevel ofproactivity Proactivity plays a significant role in the success of musicians in Mediterranean countries. Research by Smale et al. (2019) has shown that proactive career behaviours, such as self-promotion, network- ing, and continuous skill development, positively correlate with mu- sicians’ subjective financial success, as measured by income stability, careersatisfaction,andprofessionalopportunities (Smaleetal.2019). Proactivity emerges as a crucial trait for musicians andentrepreneurs in Mediterranean countries, particularly during economic crises, as it volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [14] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. enables adaptability, opportunity recognition, and financial resilience (Toubesetal.2019).However,therelationshipbetweenproactivityand work-lifebalanceismorecomplex.Interestingly,thebenefitsofcareer proactivitymayvaryacrosscultures,withfactorssuchasin-groupcol- lectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance influencing the outcomes(Smaleetal.2019).Theconceptofluckandfortunealsoplays a role in the social imagination of Mediterranean musicians. Anthro- pologicalstudieshavehighlightedhowidiomsofluckandfortunecan connect humans, potentially influencingthe perceived success of mu- sicians (da Col 2012). This understanding of luck may interact with proactive behaviours, shaping how musicians approach their careers and interpret their successes or failures. On this basis, we set our hy- potheses h2, h3 and h4. h2 Thepercentage ofincomefrom themusicindustry differs be- tweentheobservedregions h2a Ahigherpercentage ofincomefromthemusic industry leads toahigherlevelofproactivity h3 Thelevelofperceivedluckdiffersacrosstheobservedregions h3a Ahigherlevelofperceivedluckisassociatedwithahigherlevel ofproactivity Work satisfaction is another crucial factor that influences musi- cians. Research has shown that job satisfaction can be a motivational resource for maintaining high levels of proactivity over time (Strauss et al. 2015). Additionally, a supportive work-family culture has been associated with less work-family conflict, greater job satisfaction, and greater affective commitment (de Janasz et al. 2013). Balancing their artistic pursuits with family responsibilities may be particularly im- portant for musicians in the Mediterranean region, given the cultural emphasis on family in many of these countries. On this basis, we set ourhypothesis h5. h4 Thelevelofworksatisfactiondiffersbetweentheobservedre- gions h4a A higher level of work satisfaction leads to a higher level of proactivity Research on musicians’ personalities and cognitive profiles has re- vealedinterestingdifferencesbothamongvariousgroupsofmusicians and between musicians and non-musicians. These differences extend ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [15] factorssuchassubjectivenorms,self-confidence,andlocusofcontrol, which can vary based on factors such as musical training, instrument type, andcultural background. Subjective norms amongmusicians are also influenced by the type of musical training they receive. For in- stance, Rose et al. (2018) suggest that formal music learning is asso- ciatedwithhigherlevelsofconscientiousness,whilemusicians,ingen- eral,tendtohavehigherlevelsofopennesstoexperiencecomparedto populationnorms.Researchalsoindicatesthatthecloseenvironment mayshapemusicians’perceptionsofwhatisexpectedorvaluedwithin theirmusicalcommunity(Roseetal.2019). Self-confidence among musicians seems to be closely tied to their performance abilities and their perception of control over their skills. Hanton andConnaughton (2002) highlightthat perceived control is a crucial moderating factor in how musicians interpret anxiety symp- toms and their impact on performance. When musicians feel in con- trol of their symptoms, they tend to interpret them as facilitative for performance, leading to increased self-confidence. Conversely, a lack of perceived control can result in debilitative effects on performance andlowerself-confidence(HantonandConnaughton2002). Thelocus of control among musicians may differ based on their musical back- ground,expertiseandculturalenvironment.Agresetal.(2022)suggest thatmusiciansaremoresensitivetothedynamicandschematicprop- erties of musical stimuli than non-musicians. This heightened sensi- tivitycouldindicateamoreinternallocusofcontrol,asmusiciansmay feelmorecapableofunderstandingandmanipulatingmusicalelements (Agres et al. 2022). Additionally, Porflitt and Rosas (2020) reveal that differenttypesofmusicians(rhythmic,melodic,andharmonic)exhibit varyingcognitiveperformances,whichcouldinfluencetheirperception of control over their musical abilities (Porflitt and Rosas 2020). While the available research does not explicitly address regional differences intheseaspects,itisreasonabletoassumethatculturalfactorsandlo- calenvironmentmaycontributetovariationsinsubjectivenorms,self- confidence,andlocusofcontrolamongmusiciansindifferentregions. On this basis, we believe it makes sense to include personality fac- tors into our research model and to explore these potential regional differencesandtheirimplications. h5 The level of perceived self-confidence differs between the ob- servedregions volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [16] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. h5a A higher level of perceived self-confidence leads to a higher levelofproactivity h6 Thelevelofperceivedsubjectivenormsdiffersbetweentheob- servedregions h6a Ahigherlevel of perceived subjective norms leads toahigher levelofproactivity h7 The level of internal locus of control differs between the ob- servedregions h7a A higher-level internal locus of control is associated with a higherlevelofproactivity methodology and results Totestthehypotheses,wecollecteddatainSloveniaandMontenegro in 2023. In both cases,thepopulation consists ofmusicians intheob- servedregion,whichwasin2023.Thedatawerecollectedusinganon- linesurvey questionnaire andwith the helpof regional musicians’ as- sociations. Thevaluesofthevariableswerecomparedusingthet-testbetween independent samples. To test the assumed dependence relations, we set up a linear regression model for each region separately to test the hypothesesineachregion.Inthisway,wealsoenabledthecomparison ofregressioncoefficientsbetweentheobservedregions. The gender composition of the sample is comparable in both re- gions.inbothcases,thesampleisapproximatelytwo-thirdsmaleand 1/3female.Table1alsoshowsthere gionalcompositionofthesample, namelybyage,yearsofactivityinthemusicindustryandthepercent- ageofpersonalrevenuethatcomesfromthemusicindustry.Thesam- ple sizeis appropriate if we note that the Montenegro sample is small butstillsufficienttomeettheminimumrequirementsforcarryingout theplannedanalyses(Louangrath2017). The dependent variable in our linear regression model is the indi- vidual’sproactivitylevel.Wecollecteddatausinga10-itemLikertscale, whichhasbeenusedandvalidatedinpreviousresearch.Itemsarecap- turedon7-stepscale(BatemanandCrant1993). For all independent variables, we also used previously used and validated scales. To measure the perceived level of state support, a 5- point six-item scale was used. The scale originates from the research ontheperceivedorganizationalsupport(Eisenbergeretal.2001).Self- ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [17] table 1 SampleFrequencies Country Male Female Total n  n  n  Slovenia  .  .  . Montenegro  .  .  . Total  .  .  . Country Item n Mean sd Slovenia Age  . . Yearsinmusic  . . Percentofincome  . . Montenegro Age  . . Yearsinmusic  . . Percentofincome  . . table 2 t-TestResults Item t Sig. Mean* Percentofincomfrommusic . . . Statesupport . . . Selfconfidence –. . –. Proactivity –. . –. Subjectivenorms . . . Luck –. . –. Internallocusofcontrol . . . Worksatisfaction . . . notes *Slovenia-Montenegro. confidencewasmeasuredwithnineitemson5-pointLikertscaleprevi- ously used inastudy ofprivate andpublicself-consciousness (Vleem- ingandEngelse1981).Subjectivenormswerecapturedwiththreeitems on7-pointscalebasedonapreviousstudyofentrepreneurialprograms inrelationtostudentsentrepreneurialintentionaftergraduation(Lev- enson1973;Souitarisetal.2007). Fromthesamestudy,wealsoused4itemsformeasuringtheinter- nallocus ofcontrol level whichwe supplemented withfour additional items used in the research of multidimensional locus of control (Lev- enson 1973). Work satisfaction was captured with 5 item scale (Oyler 2007). To compare the two observed regions by individual variables, we volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [18] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. table 3 Country-LevelVariableComparison:HypothesesConfirmation h Observedvariable Confirmed h Thelevelofperceivedstatesupport Yes h Thepercentageofincomefromthemusicindustry No h Thelevelofperceivedluck Yes h Thelevelofworksatisfaction Yes h Thelevelofperceivedself-confidence Yes h Thelevelofperceivedsubjectivenorms No h Thelevelofinternallocusofcontrol No used the t-test of means of independent samples to test the hypothe- ses. The results of thet-test are summarized in table 2. We detected a statisticallysignificantdifferencebetweenthetwogroupsinperceived statesupport.Inthiscase,wedetectedaveryhighsignificancelevel (p = 0.000). Slovenian musicians perceive a higher level of state sup- port compared to their colleagues from Montenegro. Interestingly, in thecaseofself-confidence,wedetectedanequallyhighstatisticallysig- nificantdifference(p=0.012),butinfavourofMontenegrinmusicians. Montenegrinmusiciansalsoattachgreaterimportancetotheluckycir- cumstances necessary for successful operation in the music industry (p=0.040). Regardingjobsatisfaction,thedetectedstatisticallysignificantdif- ference (p = 0.003) showed higher satisfaction among Slovenian mu- sicians. We did not detect statistically significant differences between thetwogroupsfortheotherobservedfactors.Anoverviewofthecon- firmedhypothesesisgivenintable3. Weusedaregressionmodeltotestthecausalrelationshipsbetween the independent variables presented in the introduction of this para- graphandmusicians’proactivity,whichisthemodel’sdependentvari- able. We developed a regression model for each region separately to compare the two regions. The regression coefficients are given in ta- ble4. The results of the models show that only a few of the factors in- cludedaffecttheproactivityofmusicindustrystakeholders.Thisises- pecially true for Montenegro, where we detected a statistically signif- icant causal relationship only in the case of self-assessed level of self- confidence (p= 0.043).Allotherfactors donothavea statisticallysig- nificanteffectontheproactivityofMontenegrinmusicians.Themodel ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [19] table 4 RegressionModelsCoefficients Country Item B β t Sig. Slovenia (Constant) . . . Percentofincomfrommusic –. –. –. . State –. –. –. . Self_confidence . . . . Subj_norms –. –. –. . Luck . . . . Locus . . . . Work_satisf . . . . Gend_F . . . . Montenegro (Constant) . . . Percentofincomfrommusic –. –. –. . State –. –. –. . Self_confidence . . . . Subj_norms . . . . Luck –. –. –. . Locus . . . . Work_satisf . . . . Gend_F –. –. –. . notes Dependentvariable:proactivity. is quite good at the sample level, explaining 45.9 of the variance in proactivity in Slovenia and 53.5 in Montenegro. In Slovenia, proac- tivityisstatisticallysignificantlyaffectedbyperceivedstatesupport(p = 0.049), level of self-confidence ( p = 0.000) and the level of internal locusofcontrolofbehaviour(p=0.004). It is worth mentioning that a higher level of perceived state sup- port leads to a lower level of individual proactivity. We believe such a resultwouldrequireanin-depthanalysistoexplainthereasons.Inany case, the result represents a good motive for future research. In both observedcountries,self-confidencestandsoutasthemostpotentfac- tor(slo β=0.467andmne β=0.386). In addition to the independent variables, we included the respon- dent’s gender in the model as a control variable. The analysis showed that in Slovenia, female musicians are statistically significantly more proactive than their male counterparts (p = 0.001). However, in Mon- tenegro, wedidnotdetectstatisticallysignificantdifferencesbetween thegenders.Table5givesanoverviewofthetestedhypotheses. volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [20] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. table 5 Country-LevelHypothesesConfirmation h Independentvariable Slovenia Montenegro ha Thelevelofperceivedstatesupport Yes No ha Thepercentageofincomefromthemusicindustry No No ha Thelevelofperceivedluck No No ha Thelevelofworksatisfaction No No ha Thelevelofperceivedself-confidence Yes Yes ha Thelevelofperceivedsubjectivenorms No No ha Thelevelofinternallocusofcontrol Yes No notes Dependentvariable:proactivity. discussion Theresearchresultsshowastrongconnectionwithgeneraltheoretical positions,whichcanbesummarizedthroughafewfacts.Asaglobally growingeconomicsector,ruraltourismcanstronglycontributetoeco- nomic development and the preservation of cultural heritage in rural areas. Withintheseframeworks, thebasisisformed byactivities such as traditional music, dance, clothing,andculinaryspecialities(Guo et al.2023). Theseactivitiessignifican tly contribute to theattractiveness ofdestinations andtherevitalizationofrural areas. Rural tourism also plays a key role in preserving cultural heritage, promoting sustainable development, and increasing economic oppor- tunitiesinruralareas.Inthiscontext,musiciansrepresentanessential factor in developing tourism in rural areas. Mediterranean countries can undoubtedly use their rich cultural heritage to develop tourism in rural regions. Of course, the willingness of music industry stake- holders to participate in this project is of key importance for success- fullyimplementingthisidea.Musiciansareanessentialpartoftheru- ral tourism offer, attracting visitors with their artistry and Mediter- ranean authenticity, and creating unique experiences. Branding that connectsruraltourismandmusicaltraditionstrengthenstherecogni- tionofregionsandbuildsanemotionalbondwithvisitors,encouraging tourism’slong-termdevelopment(Damnjanovicetal.2009). Toensurereadinessforcooperation,statesupportisneeded.Inthis context,wefoundthatSlovenianmusiciansrecognizestatesupportfor their activity as an essential factor that encourages a higher level of proactivity. On the other hand, their Montenegrin colleagues on the other side of the Mediterranean do not perceive state support as an importantfactor.Theperceiveddifferenceisworthin-depthconsider- ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [21] ation and analysis to uncover the underlying causes. The reason may lieinthepossiblytoolowlevelofsupportforthemusicindustryfrom the state so far. From this perspective, it would be beneficial for state bodiesresponsiblefordevelopingruraltourismtoplacegreaterempha- sisonsupportingthemusicindustryanditsparticipants.Indoingso, it is necessary to focus on the visibility of this support, as the musi- ciansthemselvesmustpositivelyrecogniseit.Onlyinthiscasecanwe rightlyexpectagreaterwillingnessforactivecooperationamongmusi- cians.Thisconclusionisinlinewiththeexistingtheory,assustainable rural development can be achieved mainly through the integration of tourism and local cultural practices (Coros , et al. 2021; Kim and Jamal 2015).Inadditiontotheabove,previousstudiesemphasisetheimpor- tanceofbettergovernanceformoresuccessfultourismdevelopmentin ruralregions(LaneandKastenholz2015). Ofcourse,weshouldnotoverlookthecriticalfactthattheresearch found a negative correlation between the level of proactivity and per- ceivedstatesupport.Thismeansthathigherperceivedsupportcanalso leadtolowerstakeholderproactivity.Fromthisperspective,wealsobe- lieve that further research is needed to identify the reasons for such results.Thisisconsistentwiththetheoreticalargumentthatproactiv- ityisessentialforachievingsuccess,eventhoughthereislimitedsup- port. This result is consistent with research indicating that state sup- portcanprovideresourcesandopportunities,butindividualproactiv- ityremainskeyto careeradvancement(HallandMitchell2000; Wang 2023). The observation thatproactivity wasbetterpredictedbyself-confi- denceinbothcountriesprovidestheoreticalsupporttotheassumption that self-confidence is a crucial determinant of proactive behaviour. Several studies report that self-confidence is related to perceptions of control over ability and performance, which, in turn, should facilitate proactiveness (HantonandConnaughton2002;Agresetal.2022),and thusconfirmsthespecificityofthiswithinthisbodyofresearch.When comparing the two observed Mediterranean regions, we detected a higher level of self-confidence among Montenegrin musicians, which mayalsobeaconsequenceofthepreviousfindingthattheyreceiveless supportfromthestateandarethusmoredependentontheirabilities. The research results show that musicians in Montenegro attach greaterimportancetoluck,whichcanshapetheirapproachtotheirca- reersandproactivity.Thisisaninterestingfindingrelatedtotheoretical volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [22] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. claimsabouttheroleofluckinthesocialimaginationofmusicians.Da Col,inhisstudy, discoveredthatthecultural perception ofthenotion ofluckisapotentialexplanatoryfactorinsuccessandproactivityper- ception(daCol2012).Inlightofthisfinding,itisworthmentioningthe possibilitythatmusiciansinMontenegroattachgreatersignificanceto luckthantheirSloveniancounterparts,possiblyduetothelowerlevel ofstatesupportfortheiractivity. TheresearchadditionallyfoundthatmusiciansinSloveniaaremore satisfiedwiththeirjobs,whichcancontributetotheirproactivity.How- ever,thisfactorwassignificantonlyinSloveniawhentestedwithare- gressionmodel.Owingtotheresultsofthestudies,manyauthorshave formulatedintheirresearchtheconclusionthatjobsatisfactioncanbe amotivationalresourcetosustainhighlevelsofproactivity(Strausset al. 2015; de Janasz et al. 2013), which emphasizes the significance of theresultsobtained,sinceitisinagreementwiththepreviouslyestab- lishedrelationshipbetweenjobsatisfactionandhighlevelsofproactiv- ityinthemusicindustry. Musicplaysacrucialroleinenhancingruraltourismofferings,par- ticularly through the valorisation of traditional and local music her- itage(RudanandStipanović2021; K rajnovićandGortan-Carlin2007). However, challenges arise from the commercialization of rural spaces andthepotentiallossofauthenticculturalexperiences(Wu2017).Ad- ditionalchallengeslieinfullyexploitingruraltourismpotential,includ- ing the need to build trust, rebuild social capital, and integrate local communitiesintodevelopmentprocesses(Demonja2014;Quarantaet al.2016a).Accordingly,educatingtheyoungergenerationcanundoubt- edly contribute to the further development of rural music tourism in Slovenia and Montenegro, as it reflects the specific interest of the in- habitants in musical education in these regions. The Mediterranean cultural environment in Slovenia encourages students to join numer- ous musical groups of various genres during and after their studies (Plevniketal.2021),enhancingthelocalmusicsceneanditsappealto visitors. This creates a unique synergy between musical tradition and tourism,supportingthesustainabledevelopmentofruralareas. conclusion Ruraltourismhasemergedasanimportantdrivingfactorineconomic growthandculturalprotectionacrosstheglobe.Musicians,usingtheir artistryandperformingactivities,contributetoruralregions’distinc- ijems Musicians,asanImportantBuildingBlock [23] tive cultural identity, which in turn makes regions more attractive to tourists seekinggenuineandimmersiveexperiences.Thisisespecially importantforregionswitharichculturaltradition,whichcertainlyin- cludesMediterraneancountries. Rural tourism is a key driver of economic development, contribut- ing to income diversification, job creation, and cultural preservation. Studies indicate that it enhances local economies by promoting small businesses, reducing urban migration, and fostering sustainable re- source management (Dimitrijević et al. 2022; Livandovschi 2022; Sert 2024). Rural tourism supports environmental conservation through ecotourism initiatives and incentivizes the protection of cultural her- itage.Itcontributes topreservingculturalheritage, naturalresources, andtraditionalcrafts(Sert2024;Tolaetal.2024).Communityinvolve- ment is crucial for successful rural tourism development, as it fosters a deeper understanding of local challenges and promotes innovative solutions (Kuqi et al. 2019). Rural tourism benefits both tourists and hostcommunities, improvinginfrastructure andquality.However, in- adequate infrastructure, seasonal demand fluctuations, and environ- mental degradation require strategic policy interventions life (Slusar- iuc2018;Tolaetal.2024). Our analysis shows that several determinants, such as state assis- tance,self-efficacy,jobsatisfaction,andculturalvariations,shapemu- sicians’proactivity.Althoughstatefundingiscritical,itshouldbestruc- tured to encourage musicians’ autonomy and creativity without fos- tering excessivedependence on subsidies. Self-confidence among mu- sicianswasidentifiedasoneofthemaindeterminantsofproactivityin bothobservedregions. The study also highlights the need to support an understanding of culturalnuances.Ruraltourismhasbecomeacornerstoneofeconomic growthandculturalheritageinmanyMediterraneanareas.Musicians are,moreover,criticalactorsintheconstructionofthedistinctivecul- tural identity of rural Mediterranean communities via their perfor- mance/artistic practices. Hence, rural communities have become in- creasingly desirable tourist destinations that display authenticity and immersive experiences. This study emphasises the role of managing critical motivational factors, with the goal of raising the musician’s proactivitylevels. Theresearchshowsthatsomebackgroundvariablesaffectingmusi- cians’ proactivity are state support, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and volume 18 | 2025 | number 1 [24] AleksandraGovedaricaetal. cultural variability. State aid is, of course, crucial, but it should be de- signed to encourage engagement with the arts by musicians in a way thatdoesleadtoexcessivedependenceonsuchsupport.Notably,self- confidenceemergedasthemostdecisivefactorinfluencingproactivity among musicians, underscoring the need for self-confidence training andprofessionaldevelopmentworkshops. In general, thepaper contributes to thesustainable regionaldevel- opment of Mediterranean rural areas by providing insights into some of the variables driving musicians’ initiative and music tourism de- velopment. The findings can be applied to enhance the music indus- try and rural tourism offerings in Slovenia, Montenegro, and other Mediterranean regions. This would ultimately improve the appeal of rural destinations while promoting economic development, cultural preservation, and the development of proactive skills in musicians througheducation.Inaddition,itdrawsattentiontotheimportanceof more sophisticated support structures for musicians and more robust approachesforcreatingruralmusictourism. The study’s limitations include the small sample size in Montene- gro,whichmayaffectthegeneralvalidityofthefindings,andthegeo- graphicallimitationtoonlytwoMediterraneancountries,whichmakes itdifficulttogeneralizetowiderregions.Self-reportingscalesmayin- troduce bias, while the time frame, which is limited to 2023, does not allowforinsightintolong-termtrends.Inaddition,thestudydoesnot includeawiderrangeoffactors,suchasculturaldifferencesorfinancial barriers,limitingtheresults’comprehensiveness. 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