Page 16 - 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
P. 16
challenges of tourism development in protected areas of croatia and slovenia
This serves to strengthen the institutional and financial sustainabili-
ty of the national system of protected areas in Croatia, and also facilitates
the cooperative marketing presentation of all Croatian national and nature
parks included in the project “Parks of Croatia” (Ministry of Environment
and Energy of the Republic of Croatia, 2017) (See: Chapter 11). This coopera-
tive presentation and promotion on the tourism market has resulted in sig-
nificant growth in the number of visitors to the parks in question over the
last few years (See: Chapter 2).
It is worth mentioning that protected areas are declared in or-
der to protect nature, and not to strengthen tourism and/or recreation.
Sustainable tourism in most protected areas, however, is a welcome activ-
ity, as shown in Tab. 2. Thereby, with regard to leisure activities, it is worth
differentiating the role of national parks, which attract both foreign and
domestic tourists (Vidaković, 2003), from nature parks—some of which
are more oriented toward tourism, while others are oriented toward rec-
reation on the part of the local population (Opačić et al. 2014). National
parks distinguish themselves in terms of attractiveness and number of
visitors, like other protected areas that have been recognised by UNESCO
as exceptionally valuable and given the status of World Heritage Site (e.g.
Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia and Škocjan Caves Regional Park
in Slovenia) (Holden, 2013).
The majority of remaining categories of protected areas in Croatia are
not included in the tourism and/or recreation supply to the same degree,
rather they have a conservational and educational role that stem from their
value as part of Croatia’s natural heritage. Such areas are managed by pub-
lic institutions that have been founded in each of Croatia’s 21 counties (re-
gional-level management), and in some cases by cities, towns, municipali-
ties, and special public institutions.
According to the Nature Conservation Act (1999), protected areas of
nature in Slovenia are, on a basic level, divided into larger (national park,
regional park, landscape park) and smaller areas (strict natural reserve, na-
ture reserve, natural monument). The categories of all protected areas, their
purpose and compliance with the IUCN categorisation are shown in Tab. 3,
while their spatial distribution in Slovenia is shown in Fig. 2.
14
This serves to strengthen the institutional and financial sustainabili-
ty of the national system of protected areas in Croatia, and also facilitates
the cooperative marketing presentation of all Croatian national and nature
parks included in the project “Parks of Croatia” (Ministry of Environment
and Energy of the Republic of Croatia, 2017) (See: Chapter 11). This coopera-
tive presentation and promotion on the tourism market has resulted in sig-
nificant growth in the number of visitors to the parks in question over the
last few years (See: Chapter 2).
It is worth mentioning that protected areas are declared in or-
der to protect nature, and not to strengthen tourism and/or recreation.
Sustainable tourism in most protected areas, however, is a welcome activ-
ity, as shown in Tab. 2. Thereby, with regard to leisure activities, it is worth
differentiating the role of national parks, which attract both foreign and
domestic tourists (Vidaković, 2003), from nature parks—some of which
are more oriented toward tourism, while others are oriented toward rec-
reation on the part of the local population (Opačić et al. 2014). National
parks distinguish themselves in terms of attractiveness and number of
visitors, like other protected areas that have been recognised by UNESCO
as exceptionally valuable and given the status of World Heritage Site (e.g.
Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia and Škocjan Caves Regional Park
in Slovenia) (Holden, 2013).
The majority of remaining categories of protected areas in Croatia are
not included in the tourism and/or recreation supply to the same degree,
rather they have a conservational and educational role that stem from their
value as part of Croatia’s natural heritage. Such areas are managed by pub-
lic institutions that have been founded in each of Croatia’s 21 counties (re-
gional-level management), and in some cases by cities, towns, municipali-
ties, and special public institutions.
According to the Nature Conservation Act (1999), protected areas of
nature in Slovenia are, on a basic level, divided into larger (national park,
regional park, landscape park) and smaller areas (strict natural reserve, na-
ture reserve, natural monument). The categories of all protected areas, their
purpose and compliance with the IUCN categorisation are shown in Tab. 3,
while their spatial distribution in Slovenia is shown in Fig. 2.
14
