Page 99 - 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. 99
tourism in protected areas and the transformation of mljet island, croatia
in Saplunara by sixfold. Apart from registered tourists, the island’s coastal
settlements are additionally pressured by rather intensive nautical tourism,
which is not officially registered. However, due to the low level of develop-
ment of other economic activities, the local population does not perceive
tourism as a pressure or a burden and welcomes its further development.
It is important to emphasise that the main problem is not the number of
beds themselves but the fact that the peak development of tourism on Mljet
is limited to “sun and sea”, which fails to fully realise the island’s poten-
tial, and causes an intensive, often deteriorating, physical transformation
of tourism areas.
Conclusion
All the goals defined in the chapter’s introduction have been fulfilled and a
deeper insight into the relationship between tourism and demographic and
socio-economic processes in protected areas in the Croatian Littoral was
provided. It was confirmed that it is not possible to draw a direct link be-
tween tourism development and demographic changes because both pro-
cesses are influenced by various factors (See: Zupanc et al., 2000). As in
other remote and/or rural island or peninsular areas, development of tour-
ism occurred under the conditions of a disrupted age-sex composition (See:
Nejašmić, 1998; 1999; 2013), which was partially responsible for the lower
level/quality of the tourism supply and did not have the power to pull new
migrants from the mainland (Šulc, 2016). Nevertheless, even extensive-
ly developed tourism gave part of the local population the opportunity to
earn more for a living and managed to keep them on the island. Therefore,
tourism can be considered to be the most important factor of the socio-eco-
nomic transformation of the island, particularly in terms of work and eco-
nomic activity.
The analysis also revealed very high social pressure of tourism on a
small population, much higher than in some developed tourism areas (e.g.
Dubrovnik). Although the local population welcomes further development
due to its beneficial economic effects, the current pressure on the environ-
ment is great, and this makes the local economy extremely sensitive to any
oscillations in the tourism market. As the pressure is the highest in the
summer and generated largely by tourism in private households with a low
occupancy rate, future tourism development should focus on the develop-
ment of small hotels and the creation of a more complex tourism supply,
aimed to prolong the tourist season.
97
in Saplunara by sixfold. Apart from registered tourists, the island’s coastal
settlements are additionally pressured by rather intensive nautical tourism,
which is not officially registered. However, due to the low level of develop-
ment of other economic activities, the local population does not perceive
tourism as a pressure or a burden and welcomes its further development.
It is important to emphasise that the main problem is not the number of
beds themselves but the fact that the peak development of tourism on Mljet
is limited to “sun and sea”, which fails to fully realise the island’s poten-
tial, and causes an intensive, often deteriorating, physical transformation
of tourism areas.
Conclusion
All the goals defined in the chapter’s introduction have been fulfilled and a
deeper insight into the relationship between tourism and demographic and
socio-economic processes in protected areas in the Croatian Littoral was
provided. It was confirmed that it is not possible to draw a direct link be-
tween tourism development and demographic changes because both pro-
cesses are influenced by various factors (See: Zupanc et al., 2000). As in
other remote and/or rural island or peninsular areas, development of tour-
ism occurred under the conditions of a disrupted age-sex composition (See:
Nejašmić, 1998; 1999; 2013), which was partially responsible for the lower
level/quality of the tourism supply and did not have the power to pull new
migrants from the mainland (Šulc, 2016). Nevertheless, even extensive-
ly developed tourism gave part of the local population the opportunity to
earn more for a living and managed to keep them on the island. Therefore,
tourism can be considered to be the most important factor of the socio-eco-
nomic transformation of the island, particularly in terms of work and eco-
nomic activity.
The analysis also revealed very high social pressure of tourism on a
small population, much higher than in some developed tourism areas (e.g.
Dubrovnik). Although the local population welcomes further development
due to its beneficial economic effects, the current pressure on the environ-
ment is great, and this makes the local economy extremely sensitive to any
oscillations in the tourism market. As the pressure is the highest in the
summer and generated largely by tourism in private households with a low
occupancy rate, future tourism development should focus on the develop-
ment of small hotels and the creation of a more complex tourism supply,
aimed to prolong the tourist season.
97
