Page 98 - 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. 98
challenges of tourism development in protected areas of croatia and slovenia
interior settlements outside the Park, generated by the diffusion of tourism.
In 2001, tourism intensity almost reached the pre-war level (704.5), while
the tourism function index largely exceeded the pre-war maximum (113.4).
The growing pressure on Mljet was much more rapid than in the broader
area of southern Dalmatia (458.6 and 44.0, respectively), but in both areas
its intensification was associated with the increase of accommodation ca-
pacity in private households (CBS, 2002; 2003).
Instead of medium and large hotels, whose location and design were
carefully planned to fit the cultural landscape, numerous new private ob-
jects, often unplanned, illegal, without required permissions, were built
outside construction areas of settlements and not adjusted to the envi-
ronment, which led to the spread of urbanised areas in the most attrac-
tive coastal areas. This blocked these areas from being used for other, more
productive (tourism) functions. At the same time, the classic “sun and sea”
tourism product remained the core of the tourism supply, generating grow-
ing pressure of tourism on infrastructure, settlements, environment, and
local communities in the short summer season.
Despite the analysed processes, the pressure of tourism on Mljet in-
creased continuously in the 2000s and 2010s and exceeded the pre-war
maximums by 2 or 3 times. With 2,370.2 arrivals and 212.3 beds per 100 in-
habitants in 2016, Mljet became one of the most pressured areas in southern
Dalmatia, largely exceeding regional averages (1,302.8 and 69.8, respective-
ly) (CBS, 2003; 2013; 2017). It is important to note that, apart from registered
tourism, an additional 30% of tourist arrivals and overnight stays goes un-
registered (according to tourism stakeholders) (Šulc, 2016). Although it may
seem that spatial diffusion of tourism has distributed its pressure equal-
ly throughout the island, the high level of pressure is still unacceptable for
an area with preserved natural environment, and particularly for a nation-
al park, which requires a strict and sustainable development regime for
tourism.
The pressure is particularly high in very small coastal settlements, with
low levels accommodation and inhabitants, which experience rather inten-
sive private tourism construction, often lacking basic communal and tour-
ism infrastructure. However, it is important to stress that high pressure is
often the consequence of small absolute figures and cannot be compared
to large tourist resorts, meaning that this has to be taken with caution in
the analysis. It is indicative that in 9 out of 14 settlements the number of
tourist beds exceeds the population, e.g. in Pomena by 11 times over and
96
interior settlements outside the Park, generated by the diffusion of tourism.
In 2001, tourism intensity almost reached the pre-war level (704.5), while
the tourism function index largely exceeded the pre-war maximum (113.4).
The growing pressure on Mljet was much more rapid than in the broader
area of southern Dalmatia (458.6 and 44.0, respectively), but in both areas
its intensification was associated with the increase of accommodation ca-
pacity in private households (CBS, 2002; 2003).
Instead of medium and large hotels, whose location and design were
carefully planned to fit the cultural landscape, numerous new private ob-
jects, often unplanned, illegal, without required permissions, were built
outside construction areas of settlements and not adjusted to the envi-
ronment, which led to the spread of urbanised areas in the most attrac-
tive coastal areas. This blocked these areas from being used for other, more
productive (tourism) functions. At the same time, the classic “sun and sea”
tourism product remained the core of the tourism supply, generating grow-
ing pressure of tourism on infrastructure, settlements, environment, and
local communities in the short summer season.
Despite the analysed processes, the pressure of tourism on Mljet in-
creased continuously in the 2000s and 2010s and exceeded the pre-war
maximums by 2 or 3 times. With 2,370.2 arrivals and 212.3 beds per 100 in-
habitants in 2016, Mljet became one of the most pressured areas in southern
Dalmatia, largely exceeding regional averages (1,302.8 and 69.8, respective-
ly) (CBS, 2003; 2013; 2017). It is important to note that, apart from registered
tourism, an additional 30% of tourist arrivals and overnight stays goes un-
registered (according to tourism stakeholders) (Šulc, 2016). Although it may
seem that spatial diffusion of tourism has distributed its pressure equal-
ly throughout the island, the high level of pressure is still unacceptable for
an area with preserved natural environment, and particularly for a nation-
al park, which requires a strict and sustainable development regime for
tourism.
The pressure is particularly high in very small coastal settlements, with
low levels accommodation and inhabitants, which experience rather inten-
sive private tourism construction, often lacking basic communal and tour-
ism infrastructure. However, it is important to stress that high pressure is
often the consequence of small absolute figures and cannot be compared
to large tourist resorts, meaning that this has to be taken with caution in
the analysis. It is indicative that in 9 out of 14 settlements the number of
tourist beds exceeds the population, e.g. in Pomena by 11 times over and
96
