Page 71 - 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. 71
rur al tourism in the surroundings of krka national park ...
Conclusion
Protected areas open up possibilities for development of tourism and recre-
ation, not only within their own boundaries, but also in the (predominant-
ly rural) areas that surround them. Rural tourism encompasses different
activities, which can affect local economic development, development of
infrastructure, social and demographic processes, identities, heritage, and
values in a rural area. How sustainable those effects will be depends, for ex-
ample, on the characteristics of the area, the wider development context, as
well as planning and management of tourism activities. With over one mil-
lion visitors and strong fiscal and management capabilities, Krka National
Park has the potential to bring direct and indirect benefits to nearby local
communities through employment, education, and cooperation with the
local population, and most of all through its visitor management system
and tourism development.
The effects of rural tourism development are visible in nearby areas,
in connection to the favourable location in relation to the Park, but also
as part of a general trend of rural tourism development in the interior of
Dalmatia, spreading from the highly touristically-developed coastal zone.
The case of rural tourism development in the Town of Drniš, which has
seen a rather steep increase in the number of tourist arrivals and stays in
recent years, shows the importance of several factors contributing to this
trend.
Those factors include its location in close proximity to Krka National
Park and the coastal zone, but also accessibility to other important attrac-
tions (e.g. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split, or Zadar) within a two-hour
drive, and strong local initiative in a situation where economic diversifi-
cation is crucial to counteract negative demographic trends. The effects
of tourism development are especially visible in infrastructural develop-
ment, renovation of old houses, and protection and management of natu-
ral and cultural heritage. Tourism has created potentials and opportunities
for the local population (in combination with local agricultural products,
for example).
Keeping in mind the primary function of the Park of protecting its
natural and cultural heritage, the full potential of its influence on the lo-
cal development of the areas in the upper course of the Krka River can be
expected in the years to come. This will also depend on how successful the
Park’s management will be in achieving a more balanced visitor manage-
ment system. Thereby, it is important to develop the local tourism supply
69
Conclusion
Protected areas open up possibilities for development of tourism and recre-
ation, not only within their own boundaries, but also in the (predominant-
ly rural) areas that surround them. Rural tourism encompasses different
activities, which can affect local economic development, development of
infrastructure, social and demographic processes, identities, heritage, and
values in a rural area. How sustainable those effects will be depends, for ex-
ample, on the characteristics of the area, the wider development context, as
well as planning and management of tourism activities. With over one mil-
lion visitors and strong fiscal and management capabilities, Krka National
Park has the potential to bring direct and indirect benefits to nearby local
communities through employment, education, and cooperation with the
local population, and most of all through its visitor management system
and tourism development.
The effects of rural tourism development are visible in nearby areas,
in connection to the favourable location in relation to the Park, but also
as part of a general trend of rural tourism development in the interior of
Dalmatia, spreading from the highly touristically-developed coastal zone.
The case of rural tourism development in the Town of Drniš, which has
seen a rather steep increase in the number of tourist arrivals and stays in
recent years, shows the importance of several factors contributing to this
trend.
Those factors include its location in close proximity to Krka National
Park and the coastal zone, but also accessibility to other important attrac-
tions (e.g. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split, or Zadar) within a two-hour
drive, and strong local initiative in a situation where economic diversifi-
cation is crucial to counteract negative demographic trends. The effects
of tourism development are especially visible in infrastructural develop-
ment, renovation of old houses, and protection and management of natu-
ral and cultural heritage. Tourism has created potentials and opportunities
for the local population (in combination with local agricultural products,
for example).
Keeping in mind the primary function of the Park of protecting its
natural and cultural heritage, the full potential of its influence on the lo-
cal development of the areas in the upper course of the Krka River can be
expected in the years to come. This will also depend on how successful the
Park’s management will be in achieving a more balanced visitor manage-
ment system. Thereby, it is important to develop the local tourism supply
69
