Innovative approaches to sustainable tourism in highland wetlands: insights from community-based initiatives

Highland wetlands might be considered as an important aspect of ecosystem functioning, preservation of biodiversity, as well as of sustenance of human livelihoods. Delicate nature of these ecosystems, coupled with the necessity for judicious natural resource utilization, has prompted extensive discourse on strategies for fostering sustainable development within highland wetlands. Perception and involvement of the local community members in sustainable development of tourism within these regions are paramount for effective tourism management and preservation of designated protected areas. This research was conducted in Pestersko polje highland wetlands, designated special nature reserve and Ramsar Site in Serbia. Situated within an isolated border region of Serbia, the Pestersko polje Ramsar Site exemplifies the characteristics typical of highland wetlands. The main aim of this study was to provide better understanding of the local community members? perceptions of sustainable development of tourism and the manner in which their perception is affected by socio-demographic profile. The collected data were analyzed on the basis of using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlations, ANOVA, and independent samples ttest. Findings of this research indicated strong community support for sustainable tourism, coupled with a commitment to nature conservation. However, disparities in attitudes between residents of highland and lowland wetland regions were observed. This underscores the need to account for diverse contextual factors influencing policy formulation and planning for sustainable tourism initiatives, tailored to the specificities of each individual wetland area. Consequently, the study advocates for the adoption of guidelines aimed at fostering sustainable tourism practices within highland wetlands.