Cooperative Management as a New Way for Sustainability of Geoparks, Case Study Banská Bystrica Geopark

The setting and scope of cooperation between geoparks and their partners significantly affect their professional development, overall sustainability of operation, the attractiveness of the area for visitors and economic stability. The article deals with the concept of cooperative management in the case study of the Banská Bystrica Geopark in the Slovak Republic, which presents a practical and realistic framework for the development of long-term partnerships, their mutual harmonisation and planning of common activities in accordance with the needs of a specific area. The application of these principles is described in the form of a case study, which represents a model educational product called “The Copper Yarn of the Spania Valley”. The resulting model confirms the importance sustainable approach, the importance of cooperation in the development of the product, which was created as a result of targeted cooperation between the Banská Bystrica Geopark and several regional partners, including the local government, professional institutions and stake-holders. The article points out the need to embed solid and clearly defined cooperation approaches into strategic documents at the national and regional levels, points out the need for state support and a clearly defined position of geoparks in the tourism system. The results could significantly contribute to their stability, sustainability and the effective functioning of partnerships in the territory of geoparks.