Cultural tourism as a new driving force for a settlement revitalisation: the case of Golubac municipality in iron gates region, Serbia

Abstract

Cultural tourism is internationally considered as a very efficient tool for the sustainable revitalisation of somnolent settlements and regions. However, successful cultural tourism needs two components: cultural and natural heritage as its nucleus and supportive environment, containing advanced services and infrastructure. Major task is usually how to develop the later component. A perfect case study is Golubac Municipality in eastern Serbia. This municipality is located in the entrance part of Iron Gates / Đerdap, the most magnificent gorge of the Danube. Even though heritage is abundant and cultural tourism is not a novelty, it can be at much higher level and more encouraging for declining local community. This is probably the impact of the long-lasting isolation of Iron Gates region. Actually, this isolation have caused two opposite tendencies in last two centuries; from one side, isolation has preserved beautiful nature, local tradition and ambient; in the other side, it has prevented the modernisation of the region, causing socio-economic problems. Cultural tourism can play a new driving force to bridge these extremes. The number and influence of cultural tourists have already exponentially arisen in recent years. In peak seasons, tourism sector in Iron Gates is straggling to offer decent tourist product to them. Hence, the further development needs its diversification and sophistication. The aim of this paper is related to the territorial aspect of the diversification and sophistication. It analyses the potentials and obstacles for spatial diversification of the settlements in Golubac Municipality for cultural tourism and according their inherited features. This is done through the comparison of these features and the different types of cultural tourism. The final insights are given as recommendations for the future spatial development of cultural tourism, including a planned spatial organisation of settlement network that will support the development of this prospective field.