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Responsible Community Based Ecotourism Initiatives in Protected Rural Areas of the Balkans: Case Studies from Serbia and Croatia

Assuming that community-based ecotourism as a form of alternative tourism must embrace individual initiatives within the community, this study compares ecotourism initiatives in rural communities of Serbia and Croatia. The aim of this paper is to analyze these initiatives and develop a model of responsible community-based ecotourism, which is posible to implement in protected rural areas next to the large cities and towns in the Danube basin in the Balkan region. Bearing in mind that the involving appreciation not only of nature, but also for indigenous cultures prevailing in natural areas as part of the visitor experience, this empirical research is primarly focused on the local initiatives aimed at the quality of the visitor experience of two protected rural areas – Ponjavica (Serbia) and Kopački rit (Croatia). The model was developed in order to guide future initiatives aimed at ecotourism development in protected rural areas of the Balkans, which can meet the needs of domestic and foreign tourists, providing the surrounding villages an image of attractive tourist destinations.

Responsible tourism; Community-based tourism; Ecotourism; Rural communities; Initiatives; Protected areas; Balkan; Danube; Serbia; Croatia

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