Sociodemographic drivers of memorable city breaks: Evidence from tourists in Serbia

City breaks have emerged as one of the most popular and rapidly growing travel segments. As competition in this market intensifies, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out, prompting destinations to innovate and improve their offerings. Many cities continue to prioritize classic tourism goods and services, ignoring travelers' growing desire for distinctive and memorable experiences. Individuals may perceive travel experiences differently based on their personal and demographic background. However, the relationship between tourists' sociodemographic traits and the memorability of their experiences remains understudied. Therefore, this study addresses a gap in the literature by evaluating the memorability of city breaks and directly examining the impact of tourists' sociodemographic characteristics on these memorable experiences. The research was carried out among 614 international tourists in three Serbian cities (Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Niš) from December 2021 to June 2022. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (descriptive statistics, T-test, correlation analysis, and ANOVA test). Hedonism, local culture, and refreshment stood out as the most memorable aspects of a city break trip. The results further revealed that gender, age, marital status, income, and travel companions significantly shape memorable experiences. These findings add to the current body of knowledge on this subject and can help DMOs better understand market trends, improve visitor experiences, and strengthen their tourism capacities.