Page 209 - 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. 209
spatial planning of tourism in protected nature areas in slovenia ...
of tourism as well as for a better understanding of its impacts, in order to
aid in mitigating potential problems.
Tourism carrying capacity assessments (Jurinčič, 2009; Jurinčič and
Balažič, 2011) are a useful tool, based on the perception that tourism cannot
continually grow in a protected area without causing irreversible damage
to the local system. Furthermore, strategic environmental assessments and
environmental impact assessments can be helpful decision-making pro-
cesses used to promote good environmental planning by assessing the po-
tential effects and benefits of tourism activities on the environment.
Protected areas generally cover several municipalities and require
inter-municipal spatial planning of appropriate activities. Therefore, in
Slovenia, the re-establishment of a system of regional spatial planning,
which would provide a comprehensive and long-term solutions for sus-
tainable planning and management of protected areas, is needed. This
can be seen in new spatial planning legislation that is now public (Law
on Spatial Planning, 2017). Until we establish administrative regions and
their governing bodies in Slovenia, we suggest that the role of prepar-
ing regional spatial plans be taken by regional development agencies and
their spatial planning experts. The role of regional governmental bodies
in confirming regional spatial plans in this transitional period—the coun-
cils of the twelve developmental regions of Slovenia—would be assumed
by those who have experience with the certification of regional develop-
ment programmes from periods 2002–2006, 2007–2013, and 2014–2020.
This would provide the necessary conditions for the transfer of compe-
tences from the national to the regional level to introduce a “bottom-up”
process of spatial planning.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Mrs. Jana Martinčič from the Škocjan Caves
Public Service Agency for contributing data and information.
References
Balažič, G., Jurinčič, I., Sinkovič, L., 2011: Naravni rezervat Škocjanski zatok
kot del integralnega turističnega proizvoda, in: Razvoj zavarovanih ob-
močij v Sloveniji (eds. Nared, J. et al.), Knjižna zbirka Regionalni razvoj,
Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 53-61.
207
of tourism as well as for a better understanding of its impacts, in order to
aid in mitigating potential problems.
Tourism carrying capacity assessments (Jurinčič, 2009; Jurinčič and
Balažič, 2011) are a useful tool, based on the perception that tourism cannot
continually grow in a protected area without causing irreversible damage
to the local system. Furthermore, strategic environmental assessments and
environmental impact assessments can be helpful decision-making pro-
cesses used to promote good environmental planning by assessing the po-
tential effects and benefits of tourism activities on the environment.
Protected areas generally cover several municipalities and require
inter-municipal spatial planning of appropriate activities. Therefore, in
Slovenia, the re-establishment of a system of regional spatial planning,
which would provide a comprehensive and long-term solutions for sus-
tainable planning and management of protected areas, is needed. This
can be seen in new spatial planning legislation that is now public (Law
on Spatial Planning, 2017). Until we establish administrative regions and
their governing bodies in Slovenia, we suggest that the role of prepar-
ing regional spatial plans be taken by regional development agencies and
their spatial planning experts. The role of regional governmental bodies
in confirming regional spatial plans in this transitional period—the coun-
cils of the twelve developmental regions of Slovenia—would be assumed
by those who have experience with the certification of regional develop-
ment programmes from periods 2002–2006, 2007–2013, and 2014–2020.
This would provide the necessary conditions for the transfer of compe-
tences from the national to the regional level to introduce a “bottom-up”
process of spatial planning.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Mrs. Jana Martinčič from the Škocjan Caves
Public Service Agency for contributing data and information.
References
Balažič, G., Jurinčič, I., Sinkovič, L., 2011: Naravni rezervat Škocjanski zatok
kot del integralnega turističnega proizvoda, in: Razvoj zavarovanih ob-
močij v Sloveniji (eds. Nared, J. et al.), Knjižna zbirka Regionalni razvoj,
Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 53-61.
207
