Socioeconomic aspects of tourism management in Škocjan Caves Park – Slovenia

B.Sc. Letizia Fambri

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Protected areas, created for the conservation of biodiversity, are nowadays expected to stimulate and support sustainable development. Tourism, a global economic power, can remarkably impact the protected area’s success in both conservation and sustainable development objectives. Therefore, it is mutually beneficial for tourism and protected areas to have a suitable effective management plan. This thesis investigates the tourism management aspects of Škocjan Caves Park, a Slovenian protected area, which is rich of international designations (i.e. UNESCO World Heritage, Ramsar site, Natura 2000 site, Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO). ln the most recent decades, the Park has been experiencing a remarkable increase in annual visits, which supports the Park’s goal of financial self sustainability.In a multi-target integrated investigation, 522 visitor surveys (the 0.2% of annual visitors), 13 resident surveys (the 17% of total local community), five managersinterviews and two management plans have been analysed and combined together.From these, socio-economic aspects have been obtained through descriptive statistical analysis, tests of independence, and Regression Tree. An identification of visitors and associated aspects related to the tourism management have been investigated. Conservation aspects have been also extrapolated, based upon IUCN Outlook 2017 that assesses the Park’s natural and cultural heritage conservation as, “good with some concern”.In summary, permanent studies and regular monitoring activities can be definitively considered as essential for the (i) assessment of the overall quality of conservation and ecological integrity, for (ii) the quality of the visitors’ experience, and for (iii) the wellbeing of local community. In conclusion, these three aspects are decisive tools for the decision-making of resources allocation in the trade-off between biodiversity conservation and local development.

Keywords

Škocjan Caves Park, tourism management, monitoring, mandates of protected areas

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 30. 6. 2020

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Peter Kumble, Ph.D.
• Reader: Chingkheihunba Pebam

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Environmental Sciences

Master programme / field:
Engineering Ecology / Nature Conservation