engleski

Ecotourism as a tool for development of the hinterland of coastal areas &#8211 ; example of Istria, Croatia

The paper is focused on a problem of high concentration of tourism activities in the most of the Mediterranean countries strictly in narrow coastal areas. It is also discussing a possibility of using eco-tourism as a tool for the alleviation of the pressure on coastal destinations. After a short review of various practices in different parts of the Mediterranean, it is stated that even if there are some spots of high tourism concentration in the hinterland, they are mainly referring to the key cultural attractions and less frequently to the important natural attractions. Therefore in the most of the Mediterranean countries, especially those medium and less developed coastal areas with strong tourism concentration and less developed and populated hinterland. The case of Istria, the most important tourism region in Croatia located on the far north of its coast, is elaborated because it represents a good example of changing this practice, in spite of relatively unfavourable conditions. Namely, coastal Istria was until recently known almost only as a typical cheap mass-tourism destinations, with a tourism demand adapted to such image. On the other hand, Istrian hinterland was known as less developed and sparsely populated area without important tourism attractions, but with beautiful and unique scenery. Thanks to the using of specific local favourable conditions and to the clever local tourism policy, the image of Istria as mass-tourism destination has been recently significantly changed. Eco-tourism was in Istria not important as a direct tool for the development of Istrian hinterland, but it was very important as a certain &#8216 ; &#8217 ; image changer&#8217 ; &#8217 ; and a trigger for the development of other various forms of environmentally friendly tourism. Those forms include rural tourism, cycling tourism of vine roads, hiking paths etc., enriched with strong promotion of unique local cuisine. All that has helped not only to stop negative overall development trends in the hinterland, but also to give a new incentive to the coastal tourism, troubled with the consequences of war in neighbouring areas and burdened with inherited unfavourable image from the past.

ecotourism; tourism development; Istria; Croatia

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