CAN WINTER TOURISM BE TRULY SUSTAINABLE IN NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS?

Nina  B. Ćurčić; Uroš  V. Milinčić; Ana  Stranjančević; Miroljub  A. Milinčić

doi:10.2298/IJGI1903241C

Authors

Nina B. Ćurčić Geographical Institute ''Jovan Cvijić'' SASA, Belgrade
Uroš V. Milinčić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Geography, Belgrade
Ana Stranjančević Modul University Dubai, Department of Tourism and Service Management, Dubai
Miroljub A. Milinčić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Geography, Belgrade

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2298/IJGI1903241C

Keywords:

nature protection, human impact, ski resorts, sustainability, Serbia

Abstract

Even though legally protected, many areas worldwide are under a certain level of human pressure. Significant for humanity for many reasons, mountain regions are also threatened because of different anthropogenic activities, especially the ones with developed winter tourism. There are four main ski resorts in Serbia (Kopaonik, Zlatibor, Stara Planina and Brezovica) and the strongest environmental impact is registered on Kopaonik Mountain. In this paper, we tried to answer if winter tourism could be sustainable in protected areas, especially on Kopaonik Mountain, which is recognized as the largest ski resort in Serbia and a natural protected area of the highest state level—a National Park. The main threats to the environment in Kopaonik National Park are logging, building and construction of ski slopes, urbanization, artificial snow use, illegal and unplanned building. Negative consequences of winter tourism development are land degradation, deforestation, loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, ecosystem disturbances, erosion, soil loss and pollution, water and air pollution, noise and light pollution. Harmonizing tourism development with conservation activities within natural protected areas is one of the main priorities of sustainable use of natural values and resources. For the successful and sustainable development of an area, it is necessary to conduct multidisciplinary planning, based on the results from the relevant scientific disciplines.

Article metrics

References

Abegg, B., Koenig, U., Buerki, R., & Elsasser, H. (1997). Climat Impact Assessment im Tourismus [Climate Impact Assessment and Tourism]. Die Erde—Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 128, 105–116. Retrieved from http://www.digizeitschriften.de/dms/resolveppn/?PID=GDZPPN003001474

BirdLife International. (2019). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kopaonik. Retrieved from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kopaonik-iba-serbia

Bojović, G., & Plavša, J. (2011). SWOT Analysis of Tourism on Kopaonik and the Spas of its Piedmont. Turizam, 15(3), 109–118. https://doi.org/10.5937/Turizam1103109B

Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (1993). Sustainable tourism: An evolving global approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669589309450696

Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (2013). Getting from here to there: Systems change, behavioural change and sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2012.741602

Convention on Biological Diversity. (2018). Mountain Biodiversity. Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/mountain/importance.shtml

Ćurčić, N. (2017). Prostorno-vremenska analiza antropogenih uticaja na prirodne ekosisteme u Nacionalnom parku „Kopaonik” [Spatio-temporal analysis of anthropogenic impacts on natural ecosystems in National Park “Kopaonik”]. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Belgrade, Serbia: Univerzitet u Beogradu, Geografski fakultet.

Delgado, R., Sánchez-Marañón, M., Martín-García, J. M., Aranda, V., Serrano-Bernardo, F., & Rosúa, J. L. (2007). Impact of ski pistes on soil properties: a case study from a mountainous area in the Mediterranean region. Soil Use and Management, 23(3), 269–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2007.00093.x

Elliot, R. G., Lloyd, M. G., & Rowan-Robinson, J. (1998). Land use policy for skiing in Scotland. Land use policy, 15(2), 232–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-8377(88)90058-0

Hashemkhani Zolfani, S., Sedaghat, M., Maknoon, R., & Kazimieras Zavadskas, E. (2015). Sustainable tourism: a comprehensive literature review on frameworks and applications, Economic Research—Ekonomska Istraživanja, 28(1), 1–30, https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2014.995895

Holden, A. (2000). Winter tourism and the environment in conflict: the case of Caingorn, Scotland. International Journal of tourism research, 2(4), 247–260. https://doi.org/10.1002/1522-1970(200007/08)2:4<247::AIDJTR214>3.0.CO;2-X

Infokop (2019). Istorija skijanja na Kopaoniku [History of skiing on the Kopaonik Mountain]. Retrieved from https://www.infokop.net/staze-i-zicare/istorija-skijanja-na-kopaoniku.html

Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia. (2018). Osnovni podaci [General Information]. Retrieved from http://www.zzps.rs/novo/index.php?jezik=sr&strana=zastita_prirode_osnovni_podaci

International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Commission on Protected Areas Mountains Specialist Group. (2018). Mountains. Retrieved from https://www.iucn.org/commissions/world-commission-protectedareas/our-work/mountains

Jones, K. R., Venter, O., Fuller, R. A., Allan, J. R., Maxwell, S. L., Negret, P. J., & Watson, J. E. M. (2018). One-third of global protected land is under intense human pressure. Science, 360(6390), 788–791. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9565

Jovičić, Ž. (Ed.). (1990). Priroda Kopaonika—zaštita i korišćenje. Zbornik radova sa naučno-stručnog skupa. Kopaonik, 19–21.4.1990 [Nature of Kopaonik—protection and use. Proceedings of a scientific and expert conference. Kopaonik, 19–21.4.1990]. Belgrade, Serbia: Institut za turizam PMF.

Kangas, K., Tolvanen, A., Kälkäjä, T., & Siikamäki, P. (2009). Ecological impacts of revegetation and management practices of ski slopes in northern Finland. Environmental Management, 44(3), 408–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-009-9336-2

Kangas, K., Vuori, K.-M., Määttä-Juntunen, H., & Siikamäki, P. (2012). Impacts of ski resorts on water quality of boreal lakes: a case study in northern Finland. Boreal Environment Research, 17(3–4), 313–325. https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/229898

Körner, C. (2003). Alpine plant life (2nd Ed.). Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Krunić, N., Milijić, S., & Djurdjević, J. (2010). Razvoj planinskog turizma u Srbiji i zemljama u okruženju [Mountain tourism development in Serbia and neighboring countries]. Arhitektura i urbanizam, 29, 3–9. Retrieved from https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-6055/2010/0354-60551029003K.pdf

Lakušić, D. (1993). Visokoplaninska flora Kopaonika—ekološko-fitogeografska studija [High mountains flora of Kopaonik Mountain—ecological-phytogeographical study]. (Unpublished Master’s Thesis). Belgrade, Serbia: Univerzitet u Beogradu, Biološki fakultet.

Matvejev, S. D., & Simonov, N. S. (1999). Zaštita visokoplaninskih predela Srbije (Posebno izdanje, Knjiga DCXLIII. Odeljenje hemijskih i bioloških nauka, Knjiga 1) [Protection of high mountain areas in Serbia (Special issue, Book DCXLIII, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Book 1)]. Belgrade, Serbia: SANU.

Meijer zu Schlochtern, M. P., Rixen, C., Wipf, S., & Cornelissen, J. H. C. (2014). Management, winter climate and plant-soil feedbacks on ski slopes: a synthesis. Ecological Research, 29(4), 583–592. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-014-1141-6

Miljanović, D. (Ed.). (2015). Kopaonik. In V. Roganović. Leksikoni nacionalnih parkova Srbije [Lexicons of National parks of Serbia]. Belgrade, Serbia: Službeni glasnik, Geografski institut „Jovan Cvijić” SASA; Kopaonik, Serbia: Javno preduzeće „Nacionalni park Kopaonik”.

Mitrović, S. (1968). Program razvоја. Prostorni plan područja Kopaonik, V [Development Program. Spatial Plan of the Kopaonik Area, V]. Belgrade, Serbia: Atelje za arhitekturu i urbanizam „Stadion–Projekt”.

Nacionalni park Kopaonik. (2019). Unutrašnja organizacija [Internal organisation]. Retrieved from http://npkopaonik.com/o-nama/unutrasnja-organizacija/

Ristić, R., Vasiljević, N., Radić, B., & Radivojević, S. (2009). Degradation of landscape in Serbian ski resorts— aspects of scale and transfer of impacts. Spatium, 20, 49–52. https://doi.org/10.2298/SPAT0920049R

Rixen, C. (2013). Skiing and vegetation. In C. Rixen & A. Rolando (Eds.), The impacts of skiing and related winter recreational activities on mountain environments (pp. 65–78). Retrieved from https://www.eurekaselect.com/107878/chapter/skiing-and-vegetatio

Ski resorts of Serbia. (2019). Ski centar Kopaonik [Ski center Kopaonik]. Retrieved from http://www.skijalistasrbije.rs/sr/o-centru-kopaonik

Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. (1994). Opštine u Republici Srbiji 1993—statistički podaci [Municipalities in the Republic of Serbia 1993—statistical data]. Retrieved from http://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G1993/Pdf/G19932001.pdf

Stevanović, V., & Vasić, V. (Eds.) (1995). Biodiverzitet Jugoslavije sa pregledom vrsta od međunarodnog značaja [Biodiversity of Yugoslavia with an overview of internationally significant species]. Belgrade, Serbia: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology.

Stevanović, V., Vukojičić, S., Šinžar-Sekulić, J., Lazarević, M., Tomović, G., & Tan, K. (2009). Distribution and diversity of Arctic-Alpine species in the Balkans. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 283, 219–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-009-0230-4

Stojsavljević, R., Božić, S., Kovačević, M., Bubalo Živković, M., & Miljković, Dj. (2016). Influence of selected climate parameters on tourist traffic of Kopaonik and Zlatibor mountains (Republic of Serbia). Geographica Pannonica, 20(4), 208–219. https://doi.org/10.5937/GeoPan1604208S

Tourist Center Kopaonik. (2019). Kopaonik ili Srebrna planina [Kopaonik or Silver Mountain]. Retrieved from https://www.tckopaonik.com/kopaonik.php

Tourist Оrganization Knjaževac. (2019). Tourist potentials of Stara Planina. Retrieved from

http://www.toknjazevac.org.rs

UNDP PRO Novi Pazar. (2009). Plan generalne regulacije za turističku zonu Kopaonik—turističko naselje Lisina– Čajetina–Treska u opštini Raška [General regulation plan for Kopaonik tourist zone—Lisina tourist settlement —Čajetina—Treska in Raška municipality]. Retrieved from http://www.ekoregistar.sepa.gov.rs/plangeneralne-regulacije-za-turisticku-zonu-kopaonik-turisticko-naselje-lisina-cajetina-treska-u-opstini-raska

UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. (2017). World Database on Protected Areas [Database]. Retrieved from www.protectedplanet.net

Uredba o zaštiti Parka prirode „Stara planina” [Regulation on the proclamation of the Nature Park "Stara planina"], Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije br. 19 (1997).

Uredba o zaštiti Parka prirode „Stara planina” [Regulation on the proclamation of the Nature Park "Stara planina"], Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije br. 23 (2009).

Uredba o proglašenju Parka prirode „Zlatibor” [Regulation on the proclamation of the Nature Park "Zlatibor"], Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije br. 91/10 (2017).

Vasović, M. (1990). Ugrožavanje i korišćenje planinske prirode s posebnim osvrtom na Kopaonik [Nature of Kopaonik possibilities and danger of its use]. In Ž. Jovičić (Ed.), Priroda Kopaonika— zaštita i korišćenje. Zbornik radova sa naučno-stručnog skupa. Kopaonik, 19–21.4.1990 [Nature of Kopaonik—protection and use. Proceedings of a scientific and expert conference. Kopaonik, 19–21.4.1990]. (pp. 25–32). Belgrade, Serbia: Institut za turizam PMF.

Viviroli, D., Dürr, H. H., Messerli, B., Meybeck, M., & Weingartner, R. (2007). Mountains of the world, water towers for humanity: Typology, mapping, and global significance. Water resources research, 43(7), W07447. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006WR005653

Vlada Republike Srbije, Ministarstvo trgovine, turizma i telekomunikacija. (2016). Strategija razvoja turizma Republike Srbije za period 2016–2025 [Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia 2016–2025]. Retrieved from http://mtt.gov.rs/download/3/strategija.pdf

Wipf, S., Rixen. C., Fischer, M., Schmid, B., & Stoeckli, V. (2005). Effects of ski piste preparation on alpine vegetation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 42(2), 306–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01011.x

UNEP, & WTO. (2005). Making tourism more sustainable—A guide for policy makers. Retrieved from http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx0592xPA-TourismPolicyEN.pdf