STR2 Research Report PP Final2

12-EIP-RO BUCURES 09 European Seminar on Sustainable Development

STR2 - Sustainable Tourism and the Region

Case Study PLNP Croatia 2013

1 09/04/2013

Potentials and Limits of the Plitvice Lakes National Park

(PLNP) as Promoter for Sustainable Tourism in the

Region

Antje Disterheft, Anne Nogueira, Chihiro Ettner, Frank Obmann, João Fernandes, Jonathan Janssens, Mara Holzenthal, Mariana Vilas-Boas




2 09/04/2013

Index

Sustainability analysis of the PLNP

1

2

Group members

Sustainable Development and Tourism

Why Sustainable Tourism? Why Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia?

3

Research Objectives 4

5 Case Study: PLNP

Recommendations

6

Conclusion

7

8




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Group Members 1




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Antje Disterheft (Tutor)

Background: gratuateed in Social

Work, Master in Environmental

Citizenship& Participation, PhD grant

in the field of Social Sustainability and

Development

Anne Nogueira

Background: Chemical

Engineer/Phycics and Chemistry

teacher; currently taking a master on

Environmental Citizenship and

Participation

Chihiro Ettner

Background: Student at FernUni

Hagen for the MSc in Environmental

Studies, BA in Russian and East

European Area Studies, Work: Sales

Coordinator, Sales Representative

Frank Obmann Background: student of the teacher training for mathematics and geography

João Fernandes Background: Degree on Biology and Geology; teacher of Nature Sciences; currently taking a master on Environmental Citizenship and Participation

Jonathan Janssens Background: Degree on Environmental Management and currently taking a master on Environmental Science

Mara Holzenthal Background: student of cultural sciences and sustainability studies in humanities

Mariana Vilas-Boas Background: Degree on Biology and Master on Geological Heritage and Geoconservation .

Group Members 1




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build consensus in economic, social, environmental, cultural and

institutional/political aspects.

Sustainable Development and Tourism

Is an ongoing process of searching and negotiation to meet the needs of present generations, preserving the Earth, Life and Diversity, using resources efficiently, increasing public awareness to interplay economic, social, political, ecological and cultural issues, and intensifying the dialogue and active involvement of the citizens to guarantee that also future generations meet their own needs.

Sustainable Development

"Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the

needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities“

Sustainable Tourism (UNWTO)

continuous process of raising awareness about

sustainability

Negotation and stakeholders interplay

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All the group members traveled a lot and love to travel.

The tourism sector is one of the fastest growing sectors with most employees in the world (UNWTO, 2010) ⇒ big impact

Croatian region, a tourist destination already implemented the ideological transition from mass tourism to quality and sustainable tourism, was interesting to the majority of the group members.

PLNP is the oldest and biggest Croatian national park, which offers great natural and cultural resources.

Why Sustainable Tourism? Why Plitvice Lakes National Park in

Croatia? 3




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Other objectives

Determine how can the Plitvice Lakes National Park as a sustainable tourism region promote more sustainable development in the region and Croatia.

Identify the criteria of sustainable tourism to accomplish sustainable development of the park and the region and how can these criteria be applied to PLNP.

Define the influence of PLNP on the local residents and to what degree can they interplay in the national park.

Determine the role of the park in education of future generations.

Research objectives

The main objective To make recommendations on how the Plitvice Lakes National Park and its region can contribute to more sustainable development through its tourism.

4




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Case Study: PLNP Let´s have a quick look… 5




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Case Study: PLNP Facts

The Plitvice Lakes region has a

status as a national park since

1949

UNESCO World Heritage, since

1979

Area 297 km2

The karst geomorphology and the

biodiversity of PLNP are elements

of unique value in the world,

features that constitute one of the

main tourist attractions of the

region.

Actually more than 1 200 000

visitors /year (PLNP

Management Plan, 2011)

Fig 1 – PLNP location (Croatia) (Google earth, 2013)

5




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Case Study: PLNP ational trips.

Fig. 2 - Constantly increasing visitors in PLNP in the period from 1894 to 2011 (Tourist Board of the Municipality of Plitvice Report, 2011; PLNP Management Plan, 2007; Wikipedia, Plitvice Lakes National Park)

Facts 5




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Case Study: PLNP ational trips.

Fig 3 - Variation of number of visitors through the year from 2007 to 2011 (Based on Tourist Board of the Municipality of Plitvice Reports, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Facts 5




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Division of stakeholders according to analyses level

PLNP

Macro:

UNESCO; IUCN; Scientific Community

Micro:

Accomodation and restoration facilities; Travel agencies; Transport providers; Local

population; PLNP administration and workers;

Tourists.

Meso:

Ministries;

Local Government

Case Study: PLNP Facts 5




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Analysis based on “Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria”

In the case study, we analysed the Plitvice Lakes National Park in four categories:

Section A: Sustainable management Section B: Socioeconomic impacts Section C: Cultural impacts Section D: Environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing

pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes)

Sustainability analysis of PLNP 6




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• Multi-purpose attraction through a whole year

• Potentials of further attraction

• Very rich natural assets

• Cultural and architectural heritage

• Integrated comprehensive management institution / organizational

structure with national and international standards

• Active close cooperation with many institutions, non-governmental

organizations and individuals at the national and international levels for the

study and care of the park: funding and cooperation networks

• Self-financing park

• Most important driver of the regional economy

• Public Relations

• Clear fundamental objectives of the park strongly linked to sustainability

Sustainability analysis of PLNP - SWOT Analysis 6




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• Dependence on the regional economy

• Few unique tourism attractions

• Seasonality of the number of tourists

• Possible commercial activities related to the tourism of the PLNP (Absence of

information)

• Shortage in trained labour

• Decreasing of local population





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• The main economic opportunities are employment/business

opportunities for local communities

• Product and market opportunities

• promotion methods for the park´s advertising

• Community enhancement and socio-cultural benefits

• financing of the conservation of natural and cultural heritage

• monitoring and controlling, innovation and scientific research funding

• Offering high quality and accurate information on the park

• big potential for tours and activities

• seasonality of the visitors

• creation of “accessible to all” trails and tourist spots





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• Natural threats

• Anthropogenic threats

problems with chub and char

eutrophication

Subterranean habitats in the park are threatened

discharging of wastewaters

higher burden of visitors

the hazardous freight and fuels transported

• High dependence of foreign tourists visiting the park





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Enhancement of Educational Role

• Sustainability issues

• Cooperation with national educational institutions and national and international parks

Cooperation with local community

• Create regular opportunities to get greater understanding, respect for the value of the

park and sustainable development to enable collaboration and communication.

• Activate local participation in sustainable development of tourism

Seasonality management

• Introducing shoulder season fare

• Introducing low cost touristic packages

• Hold special or unique events/attraction and support off-season community initiatives

• Promote local complementary attractions

Recommendations 7




19 09/04/2013

Quality management and visitors satisfaction

• Transparent way of evaluation of the performance

• Check and monitor the satisfaction of visitors to improve based upon visitors'

opinions

Advertisement/promotion of the PLNP

• More effective visual types of promotion

• Cooperation and networks

• Implemented a database into the website of the tourist board

• Empirical studies about the visitor’s motivation

Recommendations 7




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PLNP has many action assignments and problems but is well-aware of this

and in the process of inter playing economic, social, ecological and cultural issues and intensifying the active involvement of its stakeholders

Their activities and efforts are not transparent enough to ensure the

feasibility of implementation.

Much room and of great importance to improve the way of representing its

strategies and assessment methodologies for more transparency to involve stakeholders.

The key of our recommendations are continuous efforts using clear and

transparent indicators for monitoring towards the best possible balance between the fragile immense nature and the tourism.

Conclusions 8




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After the research… what changed?

What choices do I make?

How do I work in groups?

How do I travel?

How do I see the world?




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Thank you for your attention!

Antje Disterheft, Anne Nogueira, Chihiro Ettner, Frank Obmann, João Fernandes, Jonathan Janssens, Mara Holzenthal, Mariana Vilas-Boas

STR2 Research Report PP Final2

Documents

plnp management plan

group members

cultural issues

environmental impacts

environmental citizenship

tourist board

local population

sustainable development