Page 89 - 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. 89
tourism in protected areas and the transformation of mljet island, croatia
tries (17.2%—half of them from Bosnia and Herzegovina) shows that exten-
sive tourism management does not pull in people from distant regions ef-
fectively (CBS, 2013).
Age composition
Tourism impact on the population is the best visible in age composition,
which is a reflection of past and present population change. In 1961, the
population of Mljet was affected by ageing, with 12.3% elderly population,
and age index of 48.4, and an average age of 34.5 years (Tab. 4). It was not
much worse than the average of southern Dalmatia (10.3% of elderly, age in-
dex of 38.6 and average age of 32.7) (Šulc, 2016). Small differences among re-
gions reflected lower intensity of migration with a high orientation towards
agriculture, which had been keeping younger population in the region un-
til this point.
Intensive age and sex selective out-migration from Mljet and sub-
sequent natural increase resulted in the oldest population in southern
Dalmatia in 1991, visible in share (28.8%) of elderly population, an age index
of 183.8, and a very high average age of 45.4 (Tab. 4). Unlike 30 years earli-
er, the island’s population was much older than the regional average that
was 12.8% elderly people, with an age index of 61.8, and an average age of
36.0 years (Šulc, 2016). Therefore, we cannot confirm that extensive tourism
development in the socialist period contributed to slower ageing on Mljet.
Rapid population ageing continued after the War and did not show
any signs of slowing. In 2011, Mljet had the oldest population in southern
Dalmatia, with a share of elderly population 2.5 times greater than young
population (28.2% to 11.1%), and extremely unfavourable indicators—an age
index of 253.7, old age coefficient of 28.2, and average age of 47.0 years. The
population of southern Dalmatia was less aged, with 17.8% elderly popula-
tion, an age index of 109.7, 27 elderly to 100 adults, and an average age of 41
years (Šulc, 2016).
Even intensified (but still low) levels of tourism development and pos-
itive net migration in the recent period did not manage to slow decades
of demographic momentum. The ageing population is now under the in-
fluence of demographic inertia (particularly due to the disrupted age-sex
composition and negative natural increase) (See: Nejašmić, 2013), which
can be changed only with intensive in-migration. In particular, there is
negative ageing of the working contingent that generates economic devel-
opment potential and new initiatives. These processes correspond to the
87
tries (17.2%—half of them from Bosnia and Herzegovina) shows that exten-
sive tourism management does not pull in people from distant regions ef-
fectively (CBS, 2013).
Age composition
Tourism impact on the population is the best visible in age composition,
which is a reflection of past and present population change. In 1961, the
population of Mljet was affected by ageing, with 12.3% elderly population,
and age index of 48.4, and an average age of 34.5 years (Tab. 4). It was not
much worse than the average of southern Dalmatia (10.3% of elderly, age in-
dex of 38.6 and average age of 32.7) (Šulc, 2016). Small differences among re-
gions reflected lower intensity of migration with a high orientation towards
agriculture, which had been keeping younger population in the region un-
til this point.
Intensive age and sex selective out-migration from Mljet and sub-
sequent natural increase resulted in the oldest population in southern
Dalmatia in 1991, visible in share (28.8%) of elderly population, an age index
of 183.8, and a very high average age of 45.4 (Tab. 4). Unlike 30 years earli-
er, the island’s population was much older than the regional average that
was 12.8% elderly people, with an age index of 61.8, and an average age of
36.0 years (Šulc, 2016). Therefore, we cannot confirm that extensive tourism
development in the socialist period contributed to slower ageing on Mljet.
Rapid population ageing continued after the War and did not show
any signs of slowing. In 2011, Mljet had the oldest population in southern
Dalmatia, with a share of elderly population 2.5 times greater than young
population (28.2% to 11.1%), and extremely unfavourable indicators—an age
index of 253.7, old age coefficient of 28.2, and average age of 47.0 years. The
population of southern Dalmatia was less aged, with 17.8% elderly popula-
tion, an age index of 109.7, 27 elderly to 100 adults, and an average age of 41
years (Šulc, 2016).
Even intensified (but still low) levels of tourism development and pos-
itive net migration in the recent period did not manage to slow decades
of demographic momentum. The ageing population is now under the in-
fluence of demographic inertia (particularly due to the disrupted age-sex
composition and negative natural increase) (See: Nejašmić, 2013), which
can be changed only with intensive in-migration. In particular, there is
negative ageing of the working contingent that generates economic devel-
opment potential and new initiatives. These processes correspond to the
87
