The significance of protected natural areas for tourism in the Vojvodina province (Northern Serbia) - analysis of sustainable tourism development

Abstract

This paper presents experimental research into the attitudes of tourists towards the significance of protected areas with regard to tourism in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in the northern part of the Republic of Serbia. It is an area with significant rare plant and animal resources, as well as w?tlands, ecosystems, and hilly and mountainous areas. Several research methods have been used in the paper. The first method is to collect data using a written questionnaire that was completed by 215 visitors to different protected areas in AP Vojvodina. Their answers revealed their attitudes toward sustainable tourism in selected protected areas. After examining the differences in the answers using the Kruskal-Wallis test, the results of the survey conducted by the authors were examined by means of two comparative analyses of identical, related, and similar answers in selected case studies. Based on the results of the Kruskal-Wallis Test, it can be concluded that there is a statistically significant difference in the assessments of the importance of activities and the forms of tourism chosen when visiting protected areas. The most important forms of tourism are ecotourism and adventure tourism. Tourists also identified hiking, cycling, and wildlife watching as the most important activities.

Ekoturizam specijalnog rezervata prirode „Deliblatska peščara” u uslovima pandemije COVID-19

“…Ovaj oblik turizma ima za cilj promociju prirodnih karakteristika područja u kojem se realizuje i kao najvažnije, ekoturizam unapređuje kvalitet prirode, utiče na sisteme zaštite prostora i doprinosi sveukupne benefite za zaštićeno područje (Milićević et Stavovi turista o određenim pojavama mogu biti od značaja za definisanje trenutnog stanja turizma. Turisti mogu ukazati na uticaje različitih faktora na njihove aktivnosti u turističkim destinacijama (Trišić et al, 2020). Uz pomoć kvantitativne metodologije u radu su analizirani podaci dobijeni anketiranjem turista koji su posetili Specijani rezervat prirode "Deliblatska peščara".…”

Using indicators to assess sustainable tourism development: The case of protected natural areas of Vojvodina (Northern Serbia)

“…For the online questionnaire, social networks and the method of a random selection of respondents were used, by sending the questionnaire to an e-mail address. A written questionnaire was used when visiting protected natural areas (Trišić et al, 2020a). The examination was performed during the fall of 2018 and the spring of 2019.…”

“…The area of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina has 135 protected natural sites in the area of approximately 141,044.65 ha. That is 6.56% of the total area of the territory of Vojvodina (Trišić et al, 2020a). This area covers significant protected areas, many of which possess the international conservation status.…”

“…This area covers significant protected areas, many of which possess the international conservation status. The protection of nature covers 1 national park, 2 landscapes of exceptional characteristics, 16 special nature reserves, 9 nature parks, 8 strict nature reserves, 23 natural monuments, 2 protected habitats, as well as natural assets of other categories (Lazić et al, 2008; Environmental protection programme of AP Vojvodina, for period 2016-2025 -"Official Gazette of AP Vojvodina", 10/2016; Trišić et al, 2020a).…”

“…It is assumed that there is a significant difference in terms of the effects of different indicators of sustainable tourism development to a destination (Oprea et al, 2015). Those indicators are possibilities for the development of different forms of tourism, contributions to better ecological, social-cultural, and economic sustainability of the destination (Richins, 2009), which is one of the basic postulates of sustainable tourism development (Stojanović, Savić, 2013;Trišić, et al, 2020a;Hoang et al, 2020). Research data have been collected through a questionnaire, processed and displayed by the Chi-Square and Friedman Tests, which identified average values and obvious differences in displayed values of sustainable tourism development indicators in selected protected areas.…”