Page 29 - 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
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pter 2
Transport accessibility as a factor of tourist
flow in Croatian national parks and nature
parks
Slaven Gašparović, Vuk Tvrtko Opačić
Abstract
The aim of the chapter is to assess transport accessibility and ex-
amine its connection to tourist flows in Croatian national parks
and nature parks. The research included 16 of the 19 Croatian na-
tional parks and nature parks, i.e. those for which it was possible
to identify the entrances used by the majority of visitors. The as-
sessment of transport accessibility for these 16 entrances to pro-
tected areas was conducted using the following indicators: a) pub-
lic transport connectivity (bus, ship/catamaran/ferry); b) public
transport frequency; c) road transport connectivity; d) temporal
distance from cities/towns; and e) temporal distance from larger
tourist centres. The scoring of individual indicators for each pro-
tected area was determined and the protected areas were ranked
accordingly. In order to determine the connection between trans-
port accessibility and tourist flow, a correlation analysis was con-
ducted for each national park and nature park, with the transport
accessibility score as the independent variable and the number of
visitors as the dependent variable.
Key words: transport accessibility, tourist flow, national park, na-
ture park, sustainable development, geography, Croatia
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.27-52 27
Transport accessibility as a factor of tourist
flow in Croatian national parks and nature
parks
Slaven Gašparović, Vuk Tvrtko Opačić
Abstract
The aim of the chapter is to assess transport accessibility and ex-
amine its connection to tourist flows in Croatian national parks
and nature parks. The research included 16 of the 19 Croatian na-
tional parks and nature parks, i.e. those for which it was possible
to identify the entrances used by the majority of visitors. The as-
sessment of transport accessibility for these 16 entrances to pro-
tected areas was conducted using the following indicators: a) pub-
lic transport connectivity (bus, ship/catamaran/ferry); b) public
transport frequency; c) road transport connectivity; d) temporal
distance from cities/towns; and e) temporal distance from larger
tourist centres. The scoring of individual indicators for each pro-
tected area was determined and the protected areas were ranked
accordingly. In order to determine the connection between trans-
port accessibility and tourist flow, a correlation analysis was con-
ducted for each national park and nature park, with the transport
accessibility score as the independent variable and the number of
visitors as the dependent variable.
Key words: transport accessibility, tourist flow, national park, na-
ture park, sustainable development, geography, Croatia
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.27-52 27
