Behavioural Survey of Local Inhabitants’ Views and Attitudes about Slovak Karst National Park in Slovakia

Dická, Janetta Nestorová; Gessert, Alena; Bryndzová, Lenka; Telbisz, Tamás

doi:10.3390/su122310029

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Questionnaire surveys are often used to learn about the attitudes and motivations of local residents and visitors to protected areas. Previously, the focus of these studies was primarily on national parks (Trakolis 2001;Telbisz et al 2020a, b;Nestorová Dická et al 2020), but more recently, many of the geoheritage sites have also been studied using this method (Kim et al 2008, Zgłobicki and Baran-Zgłobicka 2013, Allan et al 2015, Božić and Tomić 2015, Štrba 2019. In some research, web-based surveys are used (Pietrzyk-Kaszyńska et al 2012, Zgłobicki andBaran-Zgłobicka 2013), but on-site surveys are somewhat more common.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Karst Geoheritage of Tara National Park (Serbia) and Its Geotouristic Potential

et al. 2021

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By the example of Tara National Park (NP), we present how the geoheritage can and should be presented in a NP where the primary role is played by biology. Tara NP has a rich geoheritage, especially its karst phenomena, which include gorges (e.g. the 1000-m-deep Drina Gorge), plateaus with dolines, dry valleys, and uvalas as well as springs and travertines. In addition, ophiolites also enrich the geoheritage; hence, the area has a high geodiversity. Large reservoirs of the territory provide an opportunity to study the anthropogenic impact on hydrology and geomorphology. After presenting the geoheritage elements of the area, we examine the views and knowledge of local people and visitors about karst and geotourism with the help of a questionnaire survey. The results show that local residents support the further development of tourism, but geotourism is a rather new concept for them. On the contrary, tourists are more familiar with geotourism. Among the development perspectives, tourists support those that involve only minor environmental changes, that is in agreement with NP policy. Finally, we formulate some suggestions about geotourism development in the area. First, we outline some plans for new geo-educational trails and viewpoints. Second, we highlight the possibility to increase the geo-content of some already existing programs (e.g. boat tours). Third, we emphasize that geotourism of Tara should be connected to neighbouring areas. A new geopark is already under planning, which would include the area of Tara NP as well.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Karst Geoheritage of Tara National Park (Serbia) and Its Geotouristic Potential

et al. 2021

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“…),, therefore, this should clearly be better presented in the NP. The tasks of "scientific research" (3.91) and "education" (3.86) have got even lower scores, which is a typical result of similar surveys (Nestorová Dická, J. et al 2020;, although these roles are very important for most national parks. However, this opinion of visitors is easy to understand as only a small proportion of them are in connection with these activities.…”

Section: Tasks Of the National Park According To Touristsmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…One of the unexpected results of the survey was that among the tasks of the national park, the role of tourism was rated relatively low by visitors. In several other national park surveys (Aggtelek NP, Hungary; Slovak Karst NP, Slovakia; Tara NP, Serbia), tourism received a higher score in the ranking of national park tasks and an even higher score in the questionnaires completed by local people Nestorová Dická, J. et al 2020). There are several possible reasons for this.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Attitudes and preferences of visitors of Krka National Park, Croatia

et al. 2022

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The primary function of national parks (NPs) is nature conservation, but for the majority of them, tourism also plays an important role. Tourism generates significant incomes, but the benefits are often unequally distributed in space, as are the disadvantages. The karst regions are generally less developed terrains in terms of traditional livelihoods, but due to their special morphology, tourism offers great opportunities. Nonetheless, mass tourism can also pose increased environmental risks. In this article, we examine the above questions on the example of Krka NP, especially from the perspective of tourists, as we conducted a questionnaire survey with visitors. The results confirmed that there is a high degree of spatial inequality both in the awareness of attractions and the distribution of tourist accommodation. This fact has already been recognised by the management of the NP, and serious steps have already been taken to reduce inequality, but their impact is not yet significant enough. Based on the survey, tourism in Krka NP is determined by same-day visits. Tourists who come here primarily consider waterfalls, lakes and rivers to be the most important values of the landscape, while cultural values are considered less significant and even less known. Local products are virtually unknown in the NP palette, so this could be a direction for development. Another point that could be developed is the awareness of visitors in the field of karstification. As the survey was conducted during COVID period, its impact on tourism was also briefly examined. This impact was manifested in the fact that the proportion of retirees and tourist buses was very small, whereas the majority of visitors (90%) arrived in the NP as independent travellers. For one third of foreigners, COVID played a role in choosing Croatia as a destination. As for domestic tourists, two thirds chose to find a destination in Croatia because of COVID.

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“…One part of these complex relationships is the attitude of local people toward the protected area which is often examined with the help of questionnaires (Trakolis, D. 2001;Zurc, J. and Udovč, A. 2009;Šulc, I. and Valjak, V. 2012;Mika, M. et al 2019;Nestorová Dická, J. et al 2020;Zawilińska, B. 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes of local people towards Apuseni Nature Park, Romania

2022

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Nature parks are protected natural areas whose purposes are the protection and conservation of landscapes in which the interaction of human activities with nature over time has created a distinct area, with significant landscape and/or cultural value, often with great biological diversity. This is the case of Apuseni Nature Park, which includes a significant karst terrain and is a very important tourist destination. In this article, we examine the attitude of local people towards the protected area with the help of a questionnaire composed of 32 questions. After the general questions, the economic situation was examined first. Then the respondents had to evaluate the values and the difficulties of their region and their relation to tourism. The answers reveal that they are aware of the importance of tourism, which may represent a serious complementary income for them. The most intriguing questions were some open-ended questions, which focused on the relationship of locals to Apuseni Nature Park. Based on the answers, we can conclude that the negative opinions slightly dominate. The dissatisfaction of the locals, the feeling of limitations due to the park are expressed in many different ways. But probably the most relevant problems can be linked to the rules and laws. As it is a nature park, people in fact, live inside the park, thus, the equilibrium between their lives and the purposes of the park should be approached. The administration of the nature park should involve local people more closely in decision-making, and maybe certain rules should be changed.

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Behavioural Survey of Local Inhabitants’ Views and Attitudes about Slovak Karst National Park in Slovakia

Cited by 22 publications

References 77 publications

Karst Geoheritage of Tara National Park (Serbia) and Its Geotouristic Potential

Karst Geoheritage of Tara National Park (Serbia) and Its Geotouristic Potential

Attitudes and preferences of visitors of Krka National Park, Croatia

Attitudes of local people towards Apuseni Nature Park, Romania

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