Page 56 - 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. 56
challenges of tourism development in protected areas of croatia and slovenia
Introduction
National parks are defined by the Nature Protection Act (Official Gazette
80/13, 15/18, 14/19) as a predominantly unaltered area of exceptional and
varied natural values encompassing one or more ecosystems. This cate-
gory of protected area is primarily intended to protect nature and land-
scapes and to serve scientific, cultural, educational, and recreational pur-
poses. Tourism and recreation are also present in national parks, in so far
as they do not endanger the natural environment. According to Hall and
Boyd (2005), tourism that develops in relation to conserving or protect-
ing natural areas (ecotourism, national parks) is a form of nature-based
tourism, which also includes tourism in natural settings (such as adven-
ture tourism) and tourism focusing on certain elements of the natural en-
vironment (such as safari and wildlife tourism, nature tourism, and ma-
rine tourism). It is largely via tourism and visitor management systems
that protected areas influence local development in the areas that sur-
round them.
Krka National Park is situated in the northern part of the Croatian
coastal region of Dalmatia. It was proclaimed in 1985, protecting the Krka
River and its waterfalls, as well as the lower course of the Čikola River (the
Park’s southwestern and northern boundaries were revised in 1997). It has
seen a steep increase in the number of visitors in recent decades, reaching
1.4 million in 2018.
The Park partially includes the territories of seven local self-govern-
ment units: the City of Šibenik; the towns of Knin, Drniš, and Skradin;
and the municipalities of Ervenik, Kistanje, and Promina1 (Fig. 1). Since the
1960s, the settlements near the Park have often been characterised by de-
population and problems with socio-economic development (See: Bjelajac,
2008). Previous research demonstrated that, despite intense growth in
tourist volume, the Park exercised almost no influence on the stabilisa-
tion of settlement patterns in this depopulated zone. However, some so-
cio-economic impacts were recognised, especially in the areas closest to
main tourist points of the Park and along main routes leading to the Park’s
entrances (Radeljak and Pejnović, 2008). One of the important trends in
the last decade has been the development of rural tourism in the wider area.
1 In total, Šibenik-Knin County consists of 20 local self-government units. These in-
clude the municipalities of Bilice, Biskupija, Civljane, Ervenik, Kijevo, Kistanje,
Murter-Kornati, Pirovac, Primošten, Promina, Rogoznica, Ružić, Tisno, Tribunj,
and Unešić, as well as towns/cities of Drniš, Knin, Skradin, Šibenik, and Vodice.
54
Introduction
National parks are defined by the Nature Protection Act (Official Gazette
80/13, 15/18, 14/19) as a predominantly unaltered area of exceptional and
varied natural values encompassing one or more ecosystems. This cate-
gory of protected area is primarily intended to protect nature and land-
scapes and to serve scientific, cultural, educational, and recreational pur-
poses. Tourism and recreation are also present in national parks, in so far
as they do not endanger the natural environment. According to Hall and
Boyd (2005), tourism that develops in relation to conserving or protect-
ing natural areas (ecotourism, national parks) is a form of nature-based
tourism, which also includes tourism in natural settings (such as adven-
ture tourism) and tourism focusing on certain elements of the natural en-
vironment (such as safari and wildlife tourism, nature tourism, and ma-
rine tourism). It is largely via tourism and visitor management systems
that protected areas influence local development in the areas that sur-
round them.
Krka National Park is situated in the northern part of the Croatian
coastal region of Dalmatia. It was proclaimed in 1985, protecting the Krka
River and its waterfalls, as well as the lower course of the Čikola River (the
Park’s southwestern and northern boundaries were revised in 1997). It has
seen a steep increase in the number of visitors in recent decades, reaching
1.4 million in 2018.
The Park partially includes the territories of seven local self-govern-
ment units: the City of Šibenik; the towns of Knin, Drniš, and Skradin;
and the municipalities of Ervenik, Kistanje, and Promina1 (Fig. 1). Since the
1960s, the settlements near the Park have often been characterised by de-
population and problems with socio-economic development (See: Bjelajac,
2008). Previous research demonstrated that, despite intense growth in
tourist volume, the Park exercised almost no influence on the stabilisa-
tion of settlement patterns in this depopulated zone. However, some so-
cio-economic impacts were recognised, especially in the areas closest to
main tourist points of the Park and along main routes leading to the Park’s
entrances (Radeljak and Pejnović, 2008). One of the important trends in
the last decade has been the development of rural tourism in the wider area.
1 In total, Šibenik-Knin County consists of 20 local self-government units. These in-
clude the municipalities of Bilice, Biskupija, Civljane, Ervenik, Kijevo, Kistanje,
Murter-Kornati, Pirovac, Primošten, Promina, Rogoznica, Ružić, Tisno, Tribunj,
and Unešić, as well as towns/cities of Drniš, Knin, Skradin, Šibenik, and Vodice.
54
