Page 77 - 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. 77
pter 4
Tourism in protected areas
and the transformation of Mljet island,
Croatia
Ivan Šulc
Abstract
Located in southern Dalmatia, Mljet has some of the best-pre-
served nature among the inhabited Adriatic islands, and the west-
ern part was declared a national park in 1960. After World War II,
the island faced intensive depopulation and transformation from
an agriculture-oriented economy to a service-oriented economy.
This chapter investigates the role of tourism in the socio-econom-
ic transformation of the island and the social pressure of tour-
ism on the small local community. The goals were to investigate
the role of tourism in demographic processes on Mljet, its im-
pact on the socio-economic development of the island, and to
measure the pressure of tourism on the local community. The re-
search confirmed the significant role of tourism in the island’s
socio-economic and demographic transformation, but it also re-
vealed some of the highest levels of social pressure due to tourism
in southern Dalmatia, which is not acceptable for a tourism area
with a highly-preserved natural environment.
Key words: protected area, nature-based tourism, coastal tour-
ism, depopulation, social pressure of tourism, islands, geography,
Mljet, Croatia
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.75-102 75
Tourism in protected areas
and the transformation of Mljet island,
Croatia
Ivan Šulc
Abstract
Located in southern Dalmatia, Mljet has some of the best-pre-
served nature among the inhabited Adriatic islands, and the west-
ern part was declared a national park in 1960. After World War II,
the island faced intensive depopulation and transformation from
an agriculture-oriented economy to a service-oriented economy.
This chapter investigates the role of tourism in the socio-econom-
ic transformation of the island and the social pressure of tour-
ism on the small local community. The goals were to investigate
the role of tourism in demographic processes on Mljet, its im-
pact on the socio-economic development of the island, and to
measure the pressure of tourism on the local community. The re-
search confirmed the significant role of tourism in the island’s
socio-economic and demographic transformation, but it also re-
vealed some of the highest levels of social pressure due to tourism
in southern Dalmatia, which is not acceptable for a tourism area
with a highly-preserved natural environment.
Key words: protected area, nature-based tourism, coastal tour-
ism, depopulation, social pressure of tourism, islands, geography,
Mljet, Croatia
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-08-5.75-102 75
