The Municipality of Pakoštane, the Pakoštane Tourist Board, and the Public Institution Vransko Lake have actively engaged in the implementation of the scientific project by the Institute for Tourism titled "Effectiveness of Adaptation and Mitigation Measures for Climate Change in Tourism – COMMITMENT," through the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Institute and the Tourist Board.
The project is financed from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO) funds, through the Ministry of Science and Education. Experts from the State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ), the Faculty of Science (PMF) in Zagreb, and the University of Split are also involved in the project.
Climate change and tourism have a complex and multidimensional relationship, with direct and indirect effects on the tourism sector. The COMMITMENT project employs a mixed research approach with the primary goal of examining the impacts of climate change on tourism and assessing the resilience levels of tourist destinations. The project will analyze the connections between climate change, hazards, vulnerabilities, and the adaptation and mitigation measures implemented at the level of tourist destinations and tourism enterprises.
Research is being conducted in four pilot destinations with different geographical, climatological, and tourism characteristics:
- Continental destination: Sveti Martin na Muri
- Coastal destinations: City of Krk and Municipality of Pakoštane
- Mountain destination: Plitvice Lakes National Park
The Municipality of Pakoštane was selected due to its status as one of the most developed coastal tourist destinations in Croatia, which also encompasses the Vransko Lake Nature Park. Vransko Lake is the largest lake in the Republic of Croatia and is, in fact, a karst field filled with water (a rare example of a cryptodepression). The tourist infrastructure and offerings, as well as the rich biodiversity of Vransko Lake, are exposed to climatic (and other environmental) risks (e.g., rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and salinity), making it crucial to identify the climatic hazards facing this area.
Objectives of the COMMITMENT Project:
- Measure and document the specific impacts of climate change on selected destinations.
- Identify key hazards and vulnerabilities in each destination.
- Analyze the capacities of destinations for adaptation and resilience measures.
- Assess existing adaptation and mitigation measures and their effectiveness.
This project represents a step towards increasing the resilience of Croatian tourist destinations to climate change and the development of sustainable adaptation practices. You can read more about the project HERE.