Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.33128/ag.81.3.2

LANDSCAPE AND BIODIVERSITY OF THE MOSLAVINA GORA REGIONAL PARK AS A PARADIGM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL FORMS OF TOURISM

Anđelko Vrsaljko ; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za turizam i komunikacijske znanosti, Zadar, Hrvatska
Mateja Santrić ; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za turizam i komunikacijske znanosti, Zadar, Hrvatska
Đani Bunja ; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za turizam i komunikacijske znanosti, Zadar, Hrvatska

Abstract

Moslavačka gora was declared the second regional park in Croatia in 2011, since it has a regional significance for the preservation of landscape, biological and geological diversity. This paper gives a brief overview of landscape features (water, soil, relief, geomorphology) and biodiversity (flora and fauna). These special features need to be valorised by means of tourism and in particular it is necessary to explore the possibilities of implementing special forms of tourism in protected areas such as: wildlife tourism, ecotourism, adventure tourism, nature based tourism in the park itself, and Agritourism and Ecoagritourism in and around the park. The main objective of this research is to test the visitors of the Moslavačka Gora Regional Park on landscaping, geological and biological diversity, to what extent and how this diversity contributes to their visit, and how much it could contribute to the development of special forms of tourism on "Moslavačka Gora". Exceptionally rich in landscape, biological and geological diversity with individual biological and landscape (geological and geomorphological) features, it attracts visitors / nature lovers and thus contributes to the development of the Moslavačka Gora tourism. The research was carried out through an on-line form designed to examine the possibility of developing special forms of tourism on Moslavačka Gora, where the respondents were the persons who have already visited the regional park. 306 respondents participated, of which 192 women and 114 men. The survey questionnaire consisted of 25 questions through which the opinion of the respondents on the landscape and biodiversity of the park was tested. The collected data confirm that most visitors are aware of the size of the biological, landscape and geological heritage of Moslavina (90% of respondents), but when it comes to the particularities of a given heritage, little or nothing is known about it. This was not surprising because we got the following answers on Moslavačka Gora: Internet (about 60%), friends and acquaintances (about 40%), guides (around 30%), and then only through promotional materials and travel agencies. The respondents/visitors simply craved for educational programs on the landscape, biological and geological diversity of Moslavina not existing in the park. Most visitors know how rich and important biological, landscape and geological diversity are, while only about 50% of visitors know that they can visit significant localities. Given that the smallest percentage of visitors are familiar with its biodiversity, most of them want to go through educational programs about the flora and fauna of Moslavačka Gora. Furthermore, more than 50% of visitors believe that interaction with nature on Moslavačka Gora is not good (negative for ecotourism). With regard to biodiversity, 64.7% of the respondents believe that ecotourism and 35.3% that wildlife tourism can be developed based on such biodiversity, while landscape diversity is suitable for adventure tourism (61.8%) and nature based tourism (38.2%). The research has shown that attention should primarily be directed to the development of educational programs on landscape and biodiversity of the park, or special forms of tourism that can take place in the park.

Keywords

landscape; biodiversity; tourism; Regional Park

Hrčak ID:

232618

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/232618

Publication date:

15.1.2020.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 2.195 *