RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BRDA, SLOVENIA

Abstract

The concept of sustainable tourism development presupposes constant endeavour, ongoing monitoring, and improvement of all stakeholders involved in order to minimize the negative and maximize the positive effects of tourism. The authors of the paper examine a case study of the area of Goriška Brda (municipality of Brda), located in the western part of Slovenia along the border with Italy, where the predominant (traditional) economic activity is agriculture, and more recently tourism as well. The question is whether the development of tourism in Brda has been sustainable, and how it has affected the life of the local population. What are the perceptions of the local residents of the various effects of tourism in their municipality? Analysis of the state of tourism and a survey research on a representative sample of the local population highlighted predominantly positive influences and consequently positive perceptions. Many inhabitants of the Brda municipality are directly or indirectly dependent on tourism, so they are willing to overlook or minimize the existing negative effects.