Strategic Guidelines for the Potential Geotourism Destination Titel Loess Plateau (Vojvodina Region, Serbia)

Abstract

The link between protected areas and tourism is vital. This mutual relationship is complex, sometimes opposing, but tourism is always a critical component to consider when planning and managing protected areas, such as potential geoparks. Sustainable tourism practices in protected areas represent long-term commitments. Protected area planners and managers can do much to build a more constructive relationship with the tourism sector. Additionally, successes depend in part on actions taken by governments, for example, in updating legislation related to protected areas and tourism, or introducing economic incentives to encourage sustainable forms of tourism. Nonetheless, planners and managers play a critical role by working with a broad range of stakeholders; moreover, they can do much to ensure that tourism works for their protected area and for the people living within or nearby a geopark. Geotourism has been considered a form of niche tourism or special interest tourism, an actively growing tourism market. Vojvodina has several potential geotourism destinations—Titel Loess Plateau represents one example and is the focus of this commentary. This paper presents several strategic guidelines for planners, managers and other stakeholders for planning and managing the Titel Loess Plateau. This paper is considerate of sustainable tourism opportunities respective of local conditions and communities. This paper focuses on community practice and planning, implementing a management plan, and tourism services and infrastructure to guide suggestions for planning and managing the Titel Loess Plateau.