border) and the Hungarian capital Budapest. (280 kin). ... Rural Development and Village Revitalization ... strategy in all of them is to improve living standards ... of national government and the local municipalities. ... sification of economic and social activities for self ... understand this relation and act in such a way as to.
7bul4sm Management, Vol. 19, No. I, pp. 81-86, 1998 ~) 1998 Elsevier Science Lid All righls reserved. Printed in Great Britain 02f~1-5177/98 $19.()1)+~l.0fi
Pergamon PIh S0261-5177~97)00096-4
Case study
Integral development of rural areas, tourism and village renovation, Trebnje, Slovenia Marko Koscak Ue Trebnje, Goliev Tl~, 5, 8210 Trebnje, Slovenia This paper deals with the development of rural areas in Slovenia. After its separation from what was Yugoslavia, SIovenia was left with 45 km of coast, where most of the tourism activities were present in former Yugoslavia. Beside others, this was one of the reasons for launching the project the 'Integral Development of Rural Areas and the Renovation of Villages' - IDRARV or CRPOV. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food plays a very important role supporting projects and tourism is involved in > 100 projects throughout SIovenia. Trebnje is one example of how rural development programmes create a good basis for further tourism activities with marketing, promotion and economical benefits for the community. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved Keywords: Slovenia, i n t e g r a t e d rural d e v e l o p m e n t , Trebnje municipality
family hotels, private rooms and campgrounds. In total ca 75000 tourist beds are available. Slovenia's tourist product is divided into five categories or groups of attractions: lakes and mountains; coast and karst; art cities; the country side; and the health spas.
Introduction
Slovenia in the northern part of the former Yugoslavia, is now an independent nation of some 2 million people, with a relatively high standard of living. The territory of Slovenia lies at the intersection of four European regional units: The Alps; The Panonian Plain; The Dinaric Mountain chain; and the Adriatic Littoral. This geographical location represents an important European transitional zone, in terms of its political geography, traffic, economy and culture. It covers a 20000 km z (7820 square miles), and its population is 2 million with an average population density of around 100 inhabitants per kin'. The country is situated in the very heart of Central Europe, to be more specific, just between Venice (130 km from the Slovene border), Salzburg (200km), Vienna (250km from the border) and the Hungarian capital Budapest (280 kin). Slovenia may be regarded as a small green garden at the sunny foot of The Alps, and this is an important competitive advantage at a time when the quality of environment is rapidly becoming an integral part of modern peoples perceptions. In 1995, some 1.6 million tourists spent six million nights in Slovenia, staying in its 180 hotels and many
S l o v e n i a n c o u n t r y s i d e a n d its f u t u r e perspectives
The countryside offers a variety of the almost forgotten traces of the past, handicrafts and centuries-old customs. It is also home to three wine regions that produce not so much quantity (1 million liters annually) as a superior quality of renowned European and autochthonous wine varieties. The attaining of independence, the transition to a market economy, the process of integration into Europe, the introduction to private ownership and, above all, an awareness of the need to preserve and foster rural areas and villages; together these factors combined to enable work to begin on an Integrated Rural Development and Village Revitalization Project (CRPOV) within the Slovene Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. 81
Integral development of" rural an'as: M Koscak
The principles for C R P O V were laid down in the National Development Strategy for Agriculture, adopted by the Slovene National Assembly. The strategy set out among others the following goals for rural development: Rural development policy must be multidisciplinary in concept, and multisectoral. It must be based on an integrated approach, encompassing within the same legal and policy framework: agricultural adjustment and development, economic diversification- notably small and medium scale industries and rural services, the management of natural resources, the enhancement of environmental functions, and the promotion of culture, tourism and recreation.' The Strategy places equal emphasis on agricultural production goals and the protection of rural areas and villages, their further harmonious development, the preservation of regions of cultural significance, the protection of farmlands and the sustained presence of the population in rural areas, all of which have given the Slovenian countryside a new socio-economic value.
Integral d e v e l o p m e n t of rural areas and the renovation of villages ( I D R A R V = C R P O V ) in Slovenia 2 The 'Integral Development of Rural Areas and Renovation of Villages-IDRARV' project in Slovenia has been in progress since 1991. The initial choice was of some 14 rural areas, but has now risen to ca 100 areas in this nationwide project. The strategy in all of them is to improve living standards generally, and especially those of rural life. The project itself is actually divided into two parts; the first phase, the so-called initial development phase, and the second phase, that is, that of implementation of development strategy from first phase action plan proposals. The first phase of the operation determines the formulation of initial projects in a specific area, with the aim of training and encouraging the local population to plan its own development, supported by the co-ordinated efforts of national government and the local municipalities. The project's key element is the effective management of all developmental components and the promotion of active participation by the local population as a constituent part of the programme in a specific area, both in the phases of initiation and implementation. The projects support the diversification of economic and social activities for self sustaining private and community-based initiatives: investments; technical assistance; business service; adequate infrastructure; education; training; integrating advances in information technology; thereby strengthening the role of small towns and villages as integral parts of rural areas etc. The outcome of the first phase should thus include proposals for new projects and actions, determina82
Table l
Visitors to Slovcnia: 1985 and 1994
Country-total
Visitor numbers
Market share (%)
320 000 291 (RI0 166 000 97 000 87 000 81 000 38 000
16 [5 8 5 4 4 2
177000 132 (100 131 000 77000 19 [)()(I 14 000 14 000
24 18 17 11 3 2 2
1985 Croatia Gcrmany Italy Austria UK The Netherlands USA
1994 Italy Germany Austria Croatia The Netherlands UK USA
tion of priorities and preparation for the implementation of the programme, which represents the second phase of the project.
Tourism - a great opportunity for the development of Slovenian villages While internationally tourism has been characterized by high growth rates in Slovenia, tourism declined since 1986 duc to the political problems that led to splitting up of the former Yugoslavia. Table 1 shows the number of international visitors to Slovcnia and the respective importance of each national group for 1985 and 1994. As a generalization it may bc said that today people give an increasing priority to ecological and environmental quality when they decide where to spend a holiday or choose a travel destination; they seek a clean and healthy environment, fresh air, green forests, pure and clean rivers and lakes and a natural way of life. People from an urban environment want to experience nature in the real sense of the word. Hence, fresh air, peace and quiet, tasty food produced in a domestic, traditional way and individual active holidays are becoming a compensation for and a contrast to the life in large urban centres, where people are exposed to everyday stressful situations. This current trend in tourism arguably indicates that 'mass' tourism is declining, while individual experiences are becoming more popular, and consequently this segment of the tourist market is on the rise. This trend certainly favours Slovenia, which in any case has little potential for mass tourism. As for the future strategy of Slovenian tourism, it is perfectly clear that the exposure of the cultural landscape of the region and its heritage are of primary importance? These are in fact the basic premises for an upgrade in the sense of tourist services in Slovenia. The fact of the Slovenian
hltegral development ~>['rural areas: M Koscak
cultural landscape bcing specific yet diverse must be bettcr exploited as a comparative advantage. There are not many places in the world which contain so many varied geographical features in such a small area as is the case in Slovenia. An arranged cultural landscape has for a long time now not been merely something nice for tourists, but, together with the population and the other typical elements of the specific region, it represents an identity, which in itself is a tourist attraction. There is a growing number of tourists and visitors who want to spend their spare time with the indigenous people of a region that has its own identity. This is the point where agriculture and tourism mergc and operate in tandem. In addition, the co-operation between agriculture and tourism is postulated on a long-term basis, and can 'survivc' only if both 'sectors' are in a 'balanced relationship'. Both partners should be perfectly aware of this. Therefore, the agricultural profession will have to understand this relation and act in such a way as to become aware that the future of Slovenian agriculture is not always measured in increased production. Indeed today increased production may be diametrically opposed to sustainable ecology in some regions. Thus more attention needs to be paid to preserving and nurturing the cultural landscape and food production may no longer continue to be the primary objective. Yet tourism and the tourist economy will have to be ecologically orientated, this being a prerequisite of rural tourism.
Case study and experience of the Trebnje municipality The Trebnje municipality is located 50 km southeast from the capital city of Ljubljana along the Ljubljana-Zagreb motorway, which cuts the municipality into two parts. Geographically the Trebnjc municipality is the central part of the historic Dolenjska region. It consists of two different parts in terms of natural features - north-east and southwest of the Temenica rivers, which flow through the central part of the municipality. The northern and north-eastern parts are of an alpine structure, which is demonstrated in the impermeable soil and an abundant network of watercourses, while the area south and south-west of the Temenica river has karst features with permeable soil and therefore underground streams. The entire municipality is rural; about half of the area is covered with forests, while the remainder consists of arable areas. Trebnje and its surroundings were inhabited in the Stone Age, and possibly even before. In the pre-historic period the region to the east of the municipality was reached across the gulfs of the Panonian sea, while later a lake could be found here, which is evident from the discovered remains of boats and clay sediments. There is also some
other evidence of life in that period, such as footprints of cavemen in the Vclika Jama cave and stone axes found in Goljek and Mala Loka. Settlements from the lllyrian/Celtic period wcre found in Gradisce, Mala Loka, Racje Selo, St. Ana and Vrhtrebnje, while the name Praetorium Latobicorum indicates that the Celtic tribe of the Latobics used to live in this area. The Roman period was of particular importance for Trebnje. Consequently, there is hardly a place or hamlet in which one cannot find R o m a n tombs, tombstones, remains of walls, coins or earthenware. Trebnje was at that time located along the extensive R o m a n Emona-Siscia road and as such it was an important strategic point. The first, and thus oldest, villages originate from the Twelfth Century, while several castles and numerous churches were constructed in this area in the Middle Ages. In the last century, as a consequence of the introduction of regular postal links between Ljubljana and Karlovac, and later also due to the construction of the railway, the town began to develop more quickly, but it has always remained on the level of a minor administrative and economic centre, The construction of the Ljubljana-Zagreb railway spurred development of industry and consequently also of the town, and, as a result, Trebnje •was declared the youngest town in Slovenia. All these periods left behind them 278 different monuments of cultural and natural heritage in the area of the Trebnje municipality? This formed the basis for introducing the 'Development of Tourism in the Trebnje Municipality' and 'Integral Development of Rural Areas and Renovation of Villages' projects in the first two locations. Local authorities of the Trebnje municipality entered the p r o g r a m m e of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, at the end of 1991. This project initially covered two, and today covers three municipality areas (while, in the near future it may cover four). Its main contribution is the change in the overall attitude towards rural life in general. In the municipality today the whole concept of the development of the municipality of Trebnje is to a large extent based on the integral development of rural areas itself, which gives a guideline for many activities that are supported by the municipality. Additionally, a large number of individuals the project for reasons of financial and developmental gain. The predominantly rural character of the Trebnje municipality points logically to the development of tourism in villages, and of rural tourism in general. In this connection it must be stressed that tourism has not played a particularly important role in the past in the Trebnje municipality, although an interest in tourism has gradually been on the increase. Particularly, since the start of the development strategy as part of the 'Development of Tourism in the Trebnje Municipality' project s, development was increasingly directed towards 83
httegral deveh>pment o["rural areas: M Koscak
promoting tourism in accordance with the natural and contemporary human environments and the historic heritage. The guiding principles are therefore: • preservation of natural and cultural heritage and harmonious inclusion of it in tourist programmcs: • recreation closely related to a clean environment; • improvement of the economy and living conditions in villages; • successful marketing and promotion. It is clear that the mere declaration of support of these principles is insufficient, and this was the reason for insisting on their confirmation by the municipality's assembly, including discussions on specific obligations that arise in the formulating of the local budget. The obtained financial support enabled the realization of some ideas and rcpresented a sort of 'ice-breaking process'. Later everything went more smoothly, while the inclusion of the two areas, Knezja Vas/Mala Vas and Catez/Zaplaz, in the I D R A R V project created an additional synergy. After this, Sentrupert was included in the programme, and the fourth area, Selo-Sumberk, is in preparation. The work with people in these areas was in fact thc implementation of developmental ideas related to the tourist projcct, as well as of new ideas that were generated during work in each area separately. The areas were selected carefully with the purposes of them taking thc role of 'pilot areas', or a role model for future work. It had been previously calculated that the preconditions required for a relativcly fast improvement of the communities' economic situation and the quality of life through introducing additional activities in villages, and by the provision of related education programmes from those involvcd in rural tourism were indeed present, and this has proven to be the case". These preconditions are related to heritage attractions and other factors. First, in the case of Knczja Vas/Mala Vas, an area which is c a 3 km away from Trebnje, the aim was to expand the tourist facilities around the small castle, in which Friderik Baraga, a Slovenian missionary, was born. After he completed his studies in Ljubljana and Vienna and service in Metlika and Smartno as a junior priest, this famous Slovenian missionary took up a mission in North America, among the Ottawa and Chipewa tribes. In the middle of the Nineteenth Century Baraga wrote various books for these Indians, and taught them the basic elements of the language, as well as g r a m m a r rules from books, which he wrotc especially for their language. In the Knezja Vas/Mala Vas thc aim was thereforc to develop some sort of pilgrim-targeted tourism, for which visitors are expected primarily from Slovenia, more precisely schools groups. The market of North America is also of interest, but this issue needs yet to be developed. Since activities have 84
been in progress for some time now, it could be said that some ideas are gradually being put into practice. Every year the cultural and tourist event 'Baraga's Day' is organized, while this year a project is in progress for linking the tourist programme in Baraga's home to other programmcs within the area and further afield. Coordinated accommodation and activity packages based on rural and historic themes arc being created and aimed at specific target markets. Also, this programme was joined by the Slovcnian Railway Company which offers a l-day holiday offer in the form of an excursion from Ljubljana to Trebnjc. The package includes a visit to the Gallery of Naive Art in Trebnje, an educational and recreational trip through the nearby forest region, and of course a visit to the house in which Friderik Baraga was born. In the case of the Catez/Zaplaz area, the itinerary Od Litije do Cateza (from Litija to Catez) written by Fran Levstik, a distinguished Slovenian writer, is used as the basis for creating the incentive for a visit, as part of the development of rural tourism. Levstik's description of events and adventures during the journey which hc had in the previous century served as the basis for organizing a 25 km walk from Litija to Catez, following exactly the same route as the writer. An additional motivation for visits is the well-known church for pilgrims located in Zaplaz, an clcwaed area above Catcz. This case involves a combination of tourist programmes with activities in nature for those yearning for recreation and walking in unspoilt nature, and for those who like spending their holidays in forests, picking forest fruits etc. The development p r o g r a m m e is chiefly aimed at improving the tourist infrastructure as well as other types of infrastructure in the town, and therefore at providing satisfactory standards of service for tourists, pilgrims and other guests. The concept of development of the Sentrupert area, which is currently undergoing the first phase of the I D R A R V project, is closely connected to its wine-growing region. This concept is in line with the 'Wine Routes of Slovenia' project, in which Sentrupert and its surroundings arc one of the 20 Slovenian regions that promote Slovcnian wine, wine also being promoted in all the wine-growing regions in Slovenia as part of the introduction of the tourist and cultural programmes in this sector. It is expected that in the near future this, and all other projects which arc based on the blending of the features of the 'peaceful Dolenjska hills' with the hospitality of the people living in this area, will yield such results as to include the Trebnje municipality in the tourist map of Slovenia.
Three key principles of development During the course of the work to date on the projects in the Trebnje municipality and elsewhere, many new experiences have been gained which can
lnteeral development o1"rural alvas: M Koscak
be summarized in three key principles, that is, elements of work in all areas in which the 'Integral Development of Rural Areas and Renovation of Villages' operation is being carried o u t / "
Harmony between people and environment This principle is related to the need for establishing harmony between the people who permanently or temporarily reside in a definite area with natural, cultural and historic landscape. Attempts are being made to achieve this by providing mutual support between people and place, as well as by improving the quality of life in villages, whose inhabitants want to enjoy almost everything that the population in urban regions has available. For this reason it is necessary, through various forms of subsidy and similar forms of help, to provide long-term support to those concepts which in turn support the existing resources, either natural or produced through human effort. Subsequently these projects form the basis for future development.
Co-ordinated operation of d(fferent factors In the past much damage was caused due to the excessively narrow, sectoral approach and the rigid 'top down' approach. Such concepts were not observed in every aspect of development in a specific area, nor the need for a mutual linking of neighbouring regions. Hence today all plans, concepts and actions, irrespective of the size of separate regions, must operate in line with a co-ordinated action on a national level, starting from the active participation of the government on a state and local level, and they must also be co-ordinated with the local population's demands. The awareness of the need for concepts based on such thinking, that is, the need for integral thinking and operation, is gradually taking root at all levels.
Active participation of the local population It is generally known that the local population, being linked to a specific area as its own environment, has a much better feeling about what are the real needs of that area, and a clearer vision of future development than the central local administration. For this reason it will be necessary to include the visions, desires, needs, potentials and enthusiasm of the local population in plans for future development. Despite the fact that these tasks represent a challenge for all factors and levels included in the development of rural tourism, only continuous co-operation will bring good results. In order to achieve these principles the Trebnje Municipality joined the Heritage Trail Association, which is the regional Association for Marketing and Promotion of the countryside in the Dolenjska region. In the association there are eight Municipalities with a joint budget for a full-time marketing manager. The responsibilities of the association are:
• • • • • • •
manpower development and training; internal communication; product development; create niche partnerships; develop visiting trade programme (VTP); develop visiting journalists programme (VJP); engage in international and domestic product development; • develop a public relations programme; • attend events; and • produce brochures and other publicity material. In November 1996 the region was successfully promoted at the World Travel Market in London and later the ITB in Berlin in March 1997 as part of the Slovenian Tourist Board promotion. Beside these initiatives international promotion to other regions in Slovenia is the continuing task of the region's marketing association. In the framework of the implementation of these and many other actions which are currently in progress as part of the integral rural development in the Trebnje municipality and across the whole of SIovenia, one of the main ambitions was to provide the local population with education, so that they could gradually generate new ideas for development and more actively participate in the implementation of these ideas/' It is submitted that the key to success lies in the people who live, work and have rural roots, and whose offspring will remain in these areas.'" To this end, there is a need to follow the Chinese proverb: 'If you want one year of prosperity, cultivate grain, if you want ten years of prosperity, cultivate trees, but if you want one hundred years of prosperity, cultivate people!'
References 1. Gosar, L., Celoviti razvoj ruralnih obmoeij. Urbanisticni institut, Ljubljana, 1990. 2. Ministry of Agriculture, Integral Development of Rural Areas and the Renovation of Villages. Ministry of Agriculture, Ljubljana, 1991. 3. Koscak, M., Lipov List, Series of Articles on Rural Tourism. Turisticna zveza SIovenije, Ljubljana, 1993/1995. 4. Rezun, F., The Trebnje Region. 5. Koscak, M., Sustercie, V. and Bregar, D., Project of development of tourism in the Trebnje Municipality, Trebnje, 1993. 6. Koscak, M., Kapus, M. and Krzic, B., Integral development of rural areas and renovation of villages in the Knezja Vas/Mala Vas and the Catez/Zaplaz areas, Trebnje, 1992-1994. 7. Koscak, M., Usmerjanje razvoja na ruralnih obmocjih. Msc Diploma work, Fakulteta za arhitekturo, gradbenistvo in geodezijo, Ljubljana, 1992 8. ECOVAST, A Strategy ]'or Rural Europe. ECOVAST, Brussels, 1991. 9. ETB/RDC, Harvesting the Ben~Jits from Countryside. English Tourist Board, London, 1993. 10. Travis, A.S., The Roh, qf Rural Tourism in Europe, Particularly Central~Eastern Europe and Slovenia. Contourplan Consultancy, Birmingham, 1992. Received September 1996 Accepted August 1997
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