Sustainable tourism development in Croatian rural areas: Tourist experiences, economic and social benefits
Keywords:
rural areas, sustainable tourism development, economic and social benefits, local communityAbstract
Rural areas, because of their special features, require a carefully planned tourism development which should be based on principles of sustainable development. Besides economic characteristic, these areas are characterized by demographic problems and by the abandonment of traditional economic activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. Republic of Croatia is highly tourism-oriented country but more than 80% of this tourist traffic is carried out in coastal parts of the country and on islands along the Adriatic coast. Since the 1970s, rural settlements in these coastal areas are recording a shift in terms of major economic activities of the local population. In fact, tourism generally becomes the main source of local population’s income, either directly or indirectly. However, completely different situation is taking place in continental rural areas of Croatia, and those inland areas are the research object of this paper. The growth of tourists’ interest for visiting these very areas has encouraged the residents of inland villages to the new development and new entrepreneurial orientation – tourism. This general trend worldwide indicates a growing demand for services and facilities that are connected to tradition and to typical and authentic rural experiences but at the same time it emphasizes the need for sustainable development and the protection of resources.
