Page 11 - Koderman, Miha, and Vuk Tvrtko Opačić. Eds. 2020. Challenges of tourism development in protected areas of Croatia and Slovenia. Koper, Zagreb: University of Primorska Press, Croatian Geographical Society

pter 1
Explanatory notes on tourism in protected
areas of Croatia and Slovenia

Vuk Tvrtko Opačić, Miha Koderman

Abstract
In this chapter, IUCN categories of protected areas are defined,
along with categories of protected areas in Croatia and Slovenia
with emphasis on the harmonisation thereof with IUCN catego-
ries. Additionally, the intent of each individual category of pro-
tected area in Croatian and Slovenian legislation is explained, in
order to assess the possibility of their tourism valorisation and
make a comparison. Tourism develops and influences space in
different ways throughout the world. This means that in the most
visited protected areas, tourism has become one of the key factors
for transformation of protected areas and their surroundings. In
contrast, tourism is not strongly developed in less-popular pro-
tected areas, and their scientific, educational, and recreational
functions are stronger than tourism.

Key words: categories of protected areas, IUCN, tourism, Croatia,
Slovenia

Introduction

Increasing demand for tourism and recreational activities in protected
areas has many positive and also negative environmental consequences.
Managers of protected areas face important dilemmas when they decide

doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.9-25 9