Sustainable Tourism of Important Plant Areas (IPAs)—A Case of Three Protected Areas of Vojvodina Province

Abstract

In the northern part of Serbia, where the Autonomous Province (AP) of Vojvodina is located, a total of 27 important plant areas (IPAs) have been established. Within three selected IPAs, there are different biocenoses inhabited by endemic plant and animal species, which form a unique sensitive ecosystem. Furthermore, in these areas, there are wetlands and areas important for geodiversity maintenance. The three studied IPAs include the territory of special nature reserves of the same name: the Special Nature Reserve (SNR) Zasavica, the SNR Obedska Bara, and the SNR Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski Rit. In these selected protected areas, tourist activities are carried out at different levels of development and through various forms of tourism. This research used quantitative methodology to examine the degree of sustainable tourism development and its impact on residents. A total of 1134 respondents were surveyed using a questionnaire as an instrument. The obtained results indicate that the selected IPAs can be destinations for sustainable tourism development. Ecological and sociocultural dimensions of sustainability contribute to this type of tourism to the greatest extent. Analyzing the data related to the impact of sustainable tourism on the respondents’ satisfaction, we concluded that they feel a certain satisfaction with sustainable tourism in all three investigated protected areas. The survey results called attention to the possibility of developing nature-based forms of tourism, in which the residents’ role in tourism planning and development should be strengthened. All forms of tourism that are developed here should have the primary goal of protecting nature in these IPAs.