News
First Meeting with the Pilot Destination of the PACT-VIRA Project – Plitvice Lakes
On April 1, 2025, the first meeting for the HRZZ project PACT-VIRA was held at the Scientific Expert Center "Dr. Ivo Pevalek" in Plitvice Lakes National Park. The purpose of the meeting was to plan and initiate research activities in one of the project’s pilot destinations.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Plitvice Lakes National Park: Dr. Kazimir Miculinić (Head of the Protection, Maintenance, Conservation, Promotion, and Use Department of the National Park), Dr. Maja Vurnek (Expert Associate for Water Ecology), and Šime Knežević (Head of the Visitor Reception and Management Department). Representatives from the Institute for Tourism also participated: Dr. Izidora Marković Vukadin, Project Leader, and project collaborators Dr. Mira Zovko and Dr. Luka Valožić.
During the meeting, the PACT-VIRA project was introduced, initial research activities were outlined, and further steps for collaboration were agreed upon. The project focuses on developing innovative approaches to increase the resilience and sustainability of tourism in protected areas, with Plitvice Lakes serving as one of the key areas for research and project activity implementation.
The PACT-VIRA project aims to study the impacts of climate change on nature-based tourism in protected natural areas and to develop adaptation strategies that will ensure the long-term sustainability of tourism activities. Climate change represents an increasing challenge for nature-based tourism, especially in ecologically sensitive destinations such as national parks. The project will employ a multidisciplinary approach to assess the vulnerability and resilience of these areas, develop relevant indicators, and propose effective adaptation measures.
In the upcoming period, detailed analyses will be conducted, and collaboration with stakeholders in the destination will take place to ensure the efficient and sustainable development of tourism within the National Park.
Dr. Izidora Marković Vukadin at the Conference "Climate Change, Economy, and Society"
On March 21, 2025, the conference Climate Change, Economy, and Society was held at the Institute of Economics, Zagreb. The presentations and roundtable discussions provided an interdisciplinary perspective on climate change in Croatia, encouraged an analysis of its impact on various sectors of the economy and society, and initiated a discussion on necessary strategies, policies, and measures.
Our Dr. Izidora Marković Vukadin participated in the conference, where she spoke about the connection between climate change and tourism, the challenges facing the sector, and possible solutions. On this occasion, the HRZZ project PACT-VIRA was also briefly presented.
The conference program and topics of the presentations are available at the following link.
Kick-Off Meeting Held for the PACT-VIRA Project
On December 18th, the first meeting of the HRZZ project “Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Nature-Based Tourism: Development of Vulnerability and Resilience Indices for Protected Areas to Manage Adaptation Strategies” (PACT-VIRA) was held. The project is led by Dr. Izidora Marković Vukadin from the Institute for Tourism. The meeting brought together approximately 20 collaborators from six institutions, including the Institute for Tourism, the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ), the Croatian Geological Survey, the Faculty of Economics at the University of Split, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition (MZOZT), and the Faculty of Science (PMF).
Project Objectives:
- O1. Conduct a comprehensive review of literature and practices related to the impacts of climate change on tourism, protected areas, vulnerability and resilience of protected areas, and the evaluation and indicators of vulnerability and resilience.
- O2. Assess the current state of tourism in protected natural areas to identify key climate risks and associated threats affecting the sustainability of tourism activities, considering factors such as extreme weather events, potential natural hazards, and habitat loss.
- O3. Carry out a thorough vulnerability assessment of protected areas to various climate change risks and associated stressors using spatial analysis techniques, surveys of local communities and visitors, analysis of visitor usage patterns, climate data analysis, and hydrological analysis to evaluate factors such as habitat sensitivity and socio-economic vulnerability.
- O4. Based on various climate risks and associated stressors, propose a set of vulnerability indicators using spatial analysis techniques, local community and visitor surveys, analysis of visitor spatial movement, climate data analysis, and hydrological analysis.
- O5. Identify and quantify resilience indicators within environmental, social, and economic dimensions to evaluate the capacity of protected areas to resist and recover from the impacts of climate change.
- O6. Develop a composite Vulnerability Index and Resilience Index tailored to diverse protected areas in Croatia, integrating the findings of vulnerability and resilience assessments to provide a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change.
- O7. Translate the results of the indices into actionable recommendations for protected area managers, policymakers, and tourism stakeholders to enhance adaptive capacity and promote sustainable tourism practices in the face of climate change.
The meeting served as an opportunity for participants to get acquainted and to present the work plan and planned activities for the project's first year of implementation. We look forward to future collaboration and the successful realization of the project!