GOSPODARSKI RAZVOJ ZAŠTIĆENIH PODRUČJA

Abstract

Throughout the last decade of 20th century, many international organizations (UNESCO; OECD; EU and others) emphasized the importance of ecology-orientated development. UNESCO has declared the year 2002 as the Year of Ecology that will be manifested during April 2002. In accord with this concept, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management i.e. its Research and Development Center has initiated three projects in the field of sustainable development. These are: • The possibilities o f economical activities in Nature Park Učka and its Contact regions • The visual identity of the National Park Risnjak • The development of Eco-tourism in Gorski kotar All three projects have been initiated through the financial support of the County of Primorje and Gorski kotar, i.e. the County's Institute for Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning. The first project on the Possibilities of economical activities in Nature Park Učka and its Contact Regions has been complete, whereas the other two projects are still in preparation. In this paper, a SWOT analysis has been applied in an attempt to compare the strengths and weaknesses against the opportunities and threats that we find in the protected region. We have shown the structure of the project related to Nature Park Učka.