Page 38 - 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. 38
challenges of tourism development in protected areas of croatia and slovenia
The scoring of individual indicators for each protected area was de-
termined with consideration to the total number of points and protected
areas were ranked (whereby a higher number of points indicates a high-
er score of transport accessibility). In order to determine the connection
between transport accessibility and tourist flow, a correlation analysis of
each protected area’s score of transport accessibility and the number of vis-
itors according to data from the Ministry of Environment and Energy of
the Republic of Croatia was conducted. Then the Pearson correlation co-
efficient, with the score of transport accessibility as the independent vari-
able and the number of visitors as the dependent variable, was calculated.
Transport accessibility assessment for protected areas
The assessment of specific indicators of transport accessibility, as well as
the total score of transport accessibility for analysed national parks and na-
ture parks are shown in Tab. 2.
The highest scores of transport accessibility among national parks
were achieved by Plitvice Lakes and Krka national parks. The entrances to
Plitvice Lakes National Park are located along state road D1, which allows
for high accessibility, by both public and private transport. State road D1
is highly significant in terms of the transport connectivity of the Republic
of Croatia considering that it connects the border crossing Macelj (on the
border with Slovenia) and Split. Regarding the location of the entrance to
Plitvice Lakes National Park next to state road D1, there is a range of bus
lines connecting the continental part of Croatia with the Croatian Littoral
that pass by the entrance and serve as connections to Plitvice Lakes National
Park (there are at least ten separate daily departures that pass through the
Park). Since it is a state road, it has better quality and safety than the county
roads that access some of the protected areas of Croatia. In accordance with
the research methodology, although Plitvice Lakes National Park is not lo-
cated in the vicinity of larger urban centres nor leading tourist centres, it
was regarded as an individual city/town, i.e. as an individual tourist centre,
in and of itself, for the purposes of the research described in this chapter.
Krka National Park also achieved a high score of transport accessi-
bility, identical to Plitvice Lakes National Park. As opposed to other na-
tional parks and nature parks, the entrance to Krka National Park is locat-
ed in the immediate vicinity of motorway A1, which connects Zagreb and
Ploče, enabling exceptional transport connectivity on the national and re-
gional scale for both public and private transport. Considering that one of
36
The scoring of individual indicators for each protected area was de-
termined with consideration to the total number of points and protected
areas were ranked (whereby a higher number of points indicates a high-
er score of transport accessibility). In order to determine the connection
between transport accessibility and tourist flow, a correlation analysis of
each protected area’s score of transport accessibility and the number of vis-
itors according to data from the Ministry of Environment and Energy of
the Republic of Croatia was conducted. Then the Pearson correlation co-
efficient, with the score of transport accessibility as the independent vari-
able and the number of visitors as the dependent variable, was calculated.
Transport accessibility assessment for protected areas
The assessment of specific indicators of transport accessibility, as well as
the total score of transport accessibility for analysed national parks and na-
ture parks are shown in Tab. 2.
The highest scores of transport accessibility among national parks
were achieved by Plitvice Lakes and Krka national parks. The entrances to
Plitvice Lakes National Park are located along state road D1, which allows
for high accessibility, by both public and private transport. State road D1
is highly significant in terms of the transport connectivity of the Republic
of Croatia considering that it connects the border crossing Macelj (on the
border with Slovenia) and Split. Regarding the location of the entrance to
Plitvice Lakes National Park next to state road D1, there is a range of bus
lines connecting the continental part of Croatia with the Croatian Littoral
that pass by the entrance and serve as connections to Plitvice Lakes National
Park (there are at least ten separate daily departures that pass through the
Park). Since it is a state road, it has better quality and safety than the county
roads that access some of the protected areas of Croatia. In accordance with
the research methodology, although Plitvice Lakes National Park is not lo-
cated in the vicinity of larger urban centres nor leading tourist centres, it
was regarded as an individual city/town, i.e. as an individual tourist centre,
in and of itself, for the purposes of the research described in this chapter.
Krka National Park also achieved a high score of transport accessi-
bility, identical to Plitvice Lakes National Park. As opposed to other na-
tional parks and nature parks, the entrance to Krka National Park is locat-
ed in the immediate vicinity of motorway A1, which connects Zagreb and
Ploče, enabling exceptional transport connectivity on the national and re-
gional scale for both public and private transport. Considering that one of
36
