Projects involving locations facing increasing pressure from tourism and crowds are among the most important.
As Morski writes on the 12th of February, 2018, among the seven European Union projects related to nature protection in Split-Dalmatia County, for which 99 million kuna was approved, there is the Dinara project and the Blue cave Biševo visitors centre project.
“Dinara” is a project related to the design of visitor infrastructure (sightboards, resting places, signs, markings, etc) along 20.7 kilometers of instructional trails, from Ježević to Velika Duvjakuša on the native Dinara flora and fauna, with emphasis placed particularly on behaviour and rules in those areas for the purpose of fire protection, as these are locations that have repeatedly suffered devastating fires. The project also includes the documenting and the mapping of the area which tells the history of local people’s lives, Slobodna Dalmacija writes.
“Projects for the preservation of tourist destinations that are under significant tourism pressure are increasingly important to us. During the year, we’ll embark on the realisation of the project for Biševo island, where there are two monuments of nature and the Pakleni Islands, and we hope to find a solution for the visitor infrastructure in Cetina,” stated Jelena Kurtović Mrčelić, oceanographer and project manager of the institution.
At the end of 2017, another promising ”gift” arrived. The City of Komiza was given the stamp of approval for the project “Modra špilja – Biševo” (Blue cave, Biševo), worth 27 million kuna, which will be carried out in cooperation with the Blue World Institute and the TZ (Tourist Board) of Komiža.
Along with the always welcome help of EU funds, the realisation of this project wouldn’t be possible without the financial support of the Nautical Center Komiza and its director Brigitte Fiamengo. Thanks to the reconstruction, upgrading and renaming of a neglected old school building on the island of Biševo in the visitor centre “Blue cave – Biševo”, an attractive tourist product has been created that will attract visitors from far and wide.
Like many destinations across the country, namely along the wildly popular coast, the famous Blue cave has found itself under intense and increasing pressure from tourism, with the number of tourists visiting the area growing rapidly, year after year.
This project will be able to determine the daily number of visitors the cave can take at any one time. In the area of the entire island, the existing paths used for fire engine and emergency access will be done up as educational-themed paths, the visitor’s resting area will be whipped into shape, binoculars for observation of protected species will be set up, and even more moves will be made to improve the entire area for all.
In the very heart of the island, within the visitor centre, there will be a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a multi-purpose lecture and presentation hall, which will be to the benefit of the local community.
The infrastructure part of the project will be followed by an interactive web application (app) that will lead visitors to various nature routes, offer language interpretation, and, among other things, work to promote the very rich geological heritage of not only the Blue cave, but of Biševo as a whole.
