As part of the Nature-based Tourism course, on January 23, 2024, Maja Jurlina, Head of the Department for Organization and Visiting of Papuk Nature Park, delivered an insightful guest lecture. Attended by students enrolled in the specialist graduate professional study programs of Destination Management and Management of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the lecture provided a focused exploration of tourism in protected areas. Maja Jurlina presented an overview of Croatia’s significant and active protected areas, discussing both the positive and negative impacts of tourism within these regions. Furthermore, she delved into the primary tourism trends within the nature-based tourism market.
The lecture predominantly centered on tourism within Papuk Nature Park. It emphasized the natural and other values of the park that contribute to tourism, highlighting the existing tourist infrastructure. In addition, Maja Jurlina shed light on weaknesses in the current tourist offer and identified open business opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs in the tourism sector within the Papuk Nature Park area.
This interactive session allowed students to actively participate, both individually and in groups, in analyzing and solving posed problem questions. Ultimately, the lecture significantly contributed to a better understanding of the crucial role of planning and managing tourism in protected natural areas. It underscored the importance of nature parks in the tourism landscape of Continental Croatia, emphasizing their role in attracting investments, creating conditions for further tourism development in the surrounding areas, and generating benefits for the local population.
Virovitica University of Applied Sciences