Cover of the Bachelor Dissertation

Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague

Hana Čamo

The impact of ecotourism on chosen tourism destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bachelor dissertation

2017

The impact of ecotourism on chosen tourism destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bachelor dissertation

Hana Čamo

Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague

Department of Hospitality Management

Major field of study: Hospitality Management Dissertation advisor: Ing. Stanislava Belešová, PhD. Date of submission: 2017-06-14 Date of defense: Email: [email protected]

Prague 2017

Oath

I swear that the bachelor dissertation titled The impact of ecotourism on chosen tourism destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina was written by me independently, and that all literature and additional material used are cited in the bibliography and that this version is exactly the same as the work submitted electronically.

In accordance with §47b law no. 111/1998 coll. on higher education institutions, I agree to my dissertation being published in its complete form in the publicly accessible electronic database of the Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague.

Signature …………………………………… Hana Čamo

In Prague on 14.06.2017

Acknowledgments

First of all I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my thesis advisor Ing. Stanislava Belešová, PhD. For all the support and advice she has given me. Without her assistance and involvement, this thesis could not have been accomplished.

I would also like to thank my mother Nafija Čamo for all the support she has given me and for all of her encouragement throughout these past several years . Lastly, I would like to thank all of the respondents that took part in the questionnaires and interviews. Without their participation , this would not have been possible.

Abstract ČAMO, Hana. The impact of ecotourism on chosen tourism destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [Bachelor dissertation] Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague. Prague: 2017. 69 pages

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country enriched with a preserved natural environment ,countless rivers and springs, clear air, a wide expanse of mountainous areas and because of its geographical position it is exposed to the warm Mediterranean climate from the South and the continental climate from the North, which results in diverse flora and fauna. These are just some of the factors that make BIH one of Europe’s most attractive evolving ecotourism destinations. Seeing that BIH is still considered an undiscovered country, the concept of ecotourism is still an emerging one, but research has showed that it has been developing in the past several years.

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of ecotourism on Sarajevo and Mostar, and to give recommendations for further sustainable development and. Data has been gathered in a qualitative approach consisting of semi-structured interviews and with a quantitative approach consisting of questionnaires. Research has found that the development of ecotourism in the cities of Sarajevo and Mostar has had much more advantages than disadvantages, and that locals are enthusiastic about the future improvement of the current situation. The results of the study conducted through interviews and questionnaires showed that there are much more positive than negative impacts but that there is still a lot of work to be done. Namely, the majority of the interviewees stated that ecotourism has brought them more income and more jobs. Additionally, respondents stated people were much more environmentally conscious than before, even though there is still need for a lot of improvement and education. Recommendations are for increasing environmental awareness for businesses, tour operators and residents. Moreover, recommendations for community participation and government involvement are also given.

Keywords: Conservation, Development, Ecotourism, Environment, Impact, Residents

Abstrakt ČAMO, Hana. Vliv ekologického cestovního ruchu na vybrané destinace cestovního ruchu v Bosně a Hercegovině. [Bakalářská práce] Vysoká Škola Hotelová v Praze. Praha: 2017. 69 stran.

Bosna a Hercegovina je země obohacená o zachované přírodní prostředí, nesčetné řeky a prameny, čistý vzduch, širokou rozlohu hornatých oblastí a díky své geografické poloze je vystavena teplému středomořskému klimatu z jihu a kontinentálnímu klimatu Na sever, což vede k rozmanité flóře a fauně. To jsou jen některé z faktorů, které činí z BIH jednu z nejatraktivnějších evropských turistických destinací. Vzhledem k tomu, že BIH se stále považuje za neobjevenou zemi, koncepce ekoturistiky je stále vznikající, ale výzkum ukázal, že se vyvíjel v posledních několika letech.

Cílem této studie je zhodnotit dopad ekoturistiky na Sarajevo a Mostar a vydat doporučení pro další udržitelný rozvoj a. Data byla shromážděna v kvalitativním přístupu sestávajícím z polostrukturovaných rozhovorů a kvantitativního přístupu, který sestával z dotazníků. Výzkum zjistil, že rozvoj ekoturistiky ve městech Sarajevo a Mostar má mnohem více výhod než nevýhody a že obyvatelé jsou nadšeni ohledně budoucího zlepšení současné situace. Výsledky studie prováděné prostřednictvím rozhovorů a dotazníků ukázaly, že existuje mnohem pozitivnější než negativní dopady, ale že je třeba ještě hodně práce. Zejména většina respondentů uvedla, že ekoturistika jim přináší větší příjmy a více pracovních míst. Respondenti navíc uvedli, že lidé byli mnohem ekologičtější než dříve, i když je stále potřeba mnoho zlepšení a vzdělání. Doporučením je zvýšení povědomí o životním prostředí pro podniky, tour operátory a obyvatele. Dále jsou uvedeny doporučení pro účast komunity a zapojení vlády

Klíčová slova: Ochrana, Rozvoj, Ekoturistika, životní prostředí, Dopad, Obyvatelé List of tables:

Table 1. Tourist arrivals and tourist nights 2014-2015 Table 2. National Protected Areas in BIH Table 3. Assessment of eco-labelling criteria Table 4. Criteria that indicates an accommodation is eco-friendly. Table 5. Suggestions from tourism employees & local businesses Table 6. Positive & Negative Economic, Environmental and Socio-Cultural impacts

List of figures:

Figure 1. Direct contribution of travel & tourism to GDP Figure 2. Total contribution of travel & tourism to GDP Figure 3. Direct contribution of travel & tourism to employment Figure 4. Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP: Domestic vs Foreign 2014 Figure 5. Trave & Tourism Contribution to GDP: Domestic vs Foreign 2016 Figure 6. Arrivals and Nights Spent for Sarajevo Canton 2014-2016 Figure 7. Accommodation capacities for Sarajevo 2013-2015 Figure 8. Tourist arrivals and nights spent 2008-2010 Figure 9. Accommodation capacities for Mostar 2008-2010 Figure 10. Age of respondents Figure 11. Monthly income, allowance, pension Figure 12. Employment status Figure 13. What made you want to visit BIH? Figure 14. How should ecotourism develop in the future?

List of Abbreviations

AE- Accommodation establishment

BIH - Bosnia and Herzegovina

BAM - Bosnian Convertible Mark

EUR - Euro

GDRC - Global Development Research Center

GDP - Gross Domestic Product

IBP - International Business Publications

ICMTS- International Coastal and Marine Tourism Society

IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature

Mn. – Million

NGO - Non-Governmental Organization

OSAC – Overseas Security Advisory Council

TIES - The international ecotourism society

WTTC - World Travel & Tourism Council

Contents

1.Impact of tourism on tourism destinations ...... 3 1.1 Ecotourism and its product ...... 4 1.1.2 Ecotourism demand and characteristics of customers of ecotourism ...... 7 1.1.3 Impact of ecotourism ...... 10 1.2 Introduction to Bosnia and Herzegovina ...... 14 1.2.1 Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina ...... 15 1.2.2 Contribution of tourism and travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s economy ...... 17 1.2.3 Ecotourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina ...... 21 1.2.4 Introduction to Sarajevo ...... 22 1.2.5 Introduction to Mostar ...... 24 1.2.6 Assessment of eco-labelling criteria ...... 27 2.Methodology ...... 32 2.1. Research design ...... 32 2.1.1 Sampling Method ...... 32 2.1.2 Fieldwork ...... 33 2.1.3 Data Collection ...... 34 2.1.4 Data Analysis ...... 35 2.2 Results and discussions ...... 35 2.2.1 Positive & Negative economic impacts ...... 36 2.2.3 Positive & Negative Environmental impacts ...... 38 2.2.5 Positive and negative social and cultural impacts ...... 39 2.2. Opinions of BIH tourists, residents, and businesses on ecotourism ...... 42 2.2.1 Analysis of suggestions from residents and businesses ...... 49 2.3 Discussion ...... 50 2.3.1 Limitations of the search ...... 52 3. Recommendations ...... 53 Conclusion ...... 56 References...... 59 Appendix 1 ...... 64 Appendix 2 ...... 65 Appendix 3 ...... 66

Introduction

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been negatively portrayed in the media in the past 20 years, and due to this, many people still perceive the wrong image of this country. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a developing country enriched with natural beauty and in the recent years, it has seen a substantial growth of the tourism industry. During the war which occurred in the period from 1991-1994, much of the cultural, historical, and natural heritage was destroyed and ever since those times, BIH has been attempting to recover slowly. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a lot of tourism potential since it has many different forms of tourism to offer, mainly ecotourism. However, even though this potential is known by many, the government and local communities aren’t taking advantage of this situation. It is led to believe that there hasn’t been enough education to inform locals on all the possible benefits that can arise from getting involved in ecotourism.

When choosing this research topic, the author wished to gain better understanding of issues regarding natural conservation and ecotourism. Choosing this topic has given the author an opportunity to carry out research specifically focused at a local level. There have been several deciding factors on selecting this research topic. The first was seeing the increasing emergence of ecotourism destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the recent years and seeing the positive and negative influences it has on the local communities, as well as surrounding areas. Hence, the author was persistent on giving suitable suggestions for the current problems local communities were facing as a result of the negative impacts caused by the growth of ecotourism and giving recommendations for making ecotourism destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina more prosperous and more sustainable. The second factor was that being such a small country, Bosnia and Herzegovina has 6 National Protected Areas, 3 World Heritage Sites and 7 sites being considered for nomination to be included in the World Heritage Sites list. Although the government should have been promoting these sites as a mean to reduce poverty in the country, there has been little action as regard to this issue. Lastly, the author chose Sarajevo and Mostar as the research sites for the reason that there hadn’t been many former researches conducted to determine the impacts of ecotourism in these areas.

The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter provides the literature review for the chosen topic and covers areas such as the impacts of tourism, various definitions of ecotourism, ecotourism demand, different characteristics of customers of ecotourism, the extensive impacts of ecotourism and the definition of sustainable development. The second part of the first chapter will provide an introductory background about Bosnia and Herzegovina and its tourism. Furthermore, additional literature on Sarajevo and Mostar and the ecotourism services in these regions are given. Chapter two includes the research design and methods of data collection and a description of techniques used for data analysis, furthermore it will point out several limitations of the study. In chapter three, results of the research are discussed together with a detailed analysis of the environmental, economic, social, and cultural impacts. In the final part of the second chapter recommendations from local tourism employees and businesses on maintaining ecotourism and natural preservation are given. Chapter three includes the authors overall conclusion and recommendations for further sustainable development of Sarajevo and Mostar.

Aim of thesis

The main aim of the thesis is to assess the impact of ecotourism on Sarajevo and Mostar and to give recommendations for further sustainable development. The following are the partial goals set in order to complete the overall aim of the thesis:

1. To describe the tourism industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ecotourism situation. 2. The partial aim of this study is to analyze the positive and negative impacts ecotourism has on the chosen cities. 3. To give recommendations for future improvement for local business owners, tour operators, residents, and tourists. 4. To give recommendations on how to increase environmental awareness of businesses, local residents, tour operators and tourists.

To achieve these goals, the following research questions were created:

1. What are the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts of ecotourism on local lives in Sarajevo and Mostar?

2. How can the outcomes of growth of ecotourism be enhanced in Sarajevo and Mostar.

1.Impact of tourism on tourism destinations

Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the world, and as a result of this, tourism areas are bound to be impacted by the massive numbers of tourists visits every day. Wearing and Neil (1999) indicate that there is a huge demand for tourism by many countries because of the growths in real income, technological improvements in communication and transportation. However even with all the economic, social, and cultural impacts tourism has on the regions, Ralf Buckley (2004) argues that all forms of tourism have impacts on the natural environment. Most often than not, these impacts on the natural environment are more negative than positive.

According to Singh (2010) many countries nowadays have realized the benefits that tourism will bring to the social, economic, and cultural environments of the country. He states that the following are impacts tourism development can have on the host country:

 Positive impacts: Tourism directly affects the income and employment in the region. As tourism grows, more jobs are created thus income increases. These improvements could bring more investments into the country. These benefits can contribute all to the infrastructural development of the country. Brandon (1996) states that tourism provides countries with free public relations which can help increase and develop business. Furthermore, Brandon points out that ecotourism can provide economic diversification, which may in turn be significant for countries which have trouble increasing manufacturing and exports. The creation of national peace parks has been a way of increasing peace while enhancing biodiversity objectives (Arias and Nations,1992, as cited by Brandon, 1996)  Negative impacts: As an aftermath of the tourism growth and infrastructural developments, the beauty of the nature may be destroyed. Due to increased tourist activity, there will be an increase in pollution too as a result of the increased vehicles coming in and out of the areas. Another impact is that there could be increased littering in many areas. Singh states that as a result of tourism growth, there can be an increase in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, gambling,

prostitution, and crime. Another important impact that can happen is overdevelopment of buildings and infrastructure which can seem unappealing (MacKinnon et. Al, 1986, as cited by Brandon 1996). Brandon adds that social structure can be another issue. Namely, when younger member of the community sees tourists from more developed countries come and they perceive a carefree, wealthy life, with no social obligations, problems, and stress from which they are trying to escape. This may cause many to leave their countries in search for a better life in a more developed country. Younger generations have become westernized nowadays, which can create a negative effect on the locals lives in the country. Singh states that “this phenomenon increases the prices of consumer items, especially food and beverage items and local people face a hard situation especially in the peak season”. Moreover, harm of natural, cultural and historical heritage can occur (MacKinnon et al, 1986, as cited by Brandon 1996). Another issue which can be seen in many parts of Africa, is that tour operators and tourists treat native people as commodities and are paying to watch them in their daily surroundings and usually these people have no choice about whether they want tourists there or not and usually never get any benefits from this. (Brandon 1996)

1.1 Ecotourism and its product

There are many available definitions on ecotourism, in this paper the author will focus on a few of them in order to get a better understanding of the definition of ecotourism. The first recorded definition for ecotourism was used by Ceballos-Lascurian (1991) where he defines ecotourism as: “Travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas”. A more comprehensive definition on ecotourism was given by Fennel (1999) where he states: ‘Ecotourism is a sustainable form of natural resource-based tourism that focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, and which is ethically managed to be low- impact, non-consumptive, and locally oriented. It typically occurs in natural areas, and should contribute to conservation or preservation of such areas’.

Another definition that was announced by the World Conservation Union (Eco-trips and travel, n.d.) where ecotourism can be defined as “environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy, and appreciate nature that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local people. The Nature Conservancy (Eco-trips and travel, n.d.) states that “ecotourism can be distinguished by its emphasis on conservation, education, traveller responsibility and active community participation”. Moreover GDRC (Defining Ecotourism, n.d.) defines ecotourism as “travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the main attractions” According to TIES (2015) ecotourism can be defined as the responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of local people and involves interpretation and education. Based on these definitions, which vary from each other to a certain degree, it is important to understand that the emphasis of these definitions are on responsible travel and sustainable development and that the core attractions of ecotourist destinations are natural and untouched areas. It is also interesting to see the evolution of these definitions where in 1991 it defined ecotourism as only travel to natural destinations, and the latest definition from 2015 defines it now as travel to natural areas, but additionally it adds the participation and well-being of local people.

Bibanovic (2006) introduces recommendations from the IUCN Global Parks Congress (2003) on the individuals’ principles ecotourism should follow: a. Initiate the protection of natural values and be a backbone of support to protected areas: To initiate action for the protection of natural monuments, areas which are residence of endangered species of animals and plants, natural sites, improvement of the environment and environmental values. b. Contain educational and interpretative features: It is very significant to promote awareness that the development of ecotourism contributes to the development of rural areas and protects the cultural and natural values of the region c. Encourage the involvement of small local businesses: Agricultural producers have a very important place in the creation of ecotourism products in terms of encouragement for development of production for target clients such as accommodation and gastronomy establishments. In the function of encouraging the

small local business sector is the establishment of cooperatives and cooperative mini-stores. d. Include traditional agriculture, natural and heritage: Legal protection of natural values strengthens the brand of agricultural products in the peripheral zone of the protected area. Food is an element of cultural heritage and identity, cultural culinary production and tradition are the basis for future production standards, authenticity and taste discern the return of regionalization. Also the protection of landscapes, culture , architecture is involved in the idea of improving the state of the environment. e. Promote sustainable development and ties to conventional tourism: Sustainable development implies the preservation of the environment and the preservation of the cultural and natural values in the broadest sense, but this development should also aim to create ecotourism offers as a necessary tie to conventional tourism of the Mediterranean coast, urban centres, religious and spa tourism and winter sports centres. The message is that all the capacities of conventional tourism get a greater use of food and beverage products from BIH’s regional brands, to enrich their tourist programs with offers that promote cultural and natural values of their environment.

Ecotourism consists of travel to destinations where the main attractions are mountains, lakes, forests, caves, cultural and historical heritage. According to Wilson et al. (2014), tourism products can be put into two categories 1) total tourism product: which is made up of all the elements which a consumer uses, and individual tourism products: transportation, accommodation and catering, trips, entertainment, souvenirs and other related goods and services. They add that ecotourism can be considered as a general tourism product or a product of separate elements. Ecotourism product focuses on a natural product that is environmentally sustainable, informative and that benefits the local communities. For instance, eco-tours include small sized groups, local tour guides, and a small amount of the tour fees are given toward conservation activities. Additionally, Wilson et al. (2014) indicate the three product types of ecotourism are: a. A product which encompasses one of the individual elements of ecotourism: the individual elements of tourism are excursion, transportation or accommodation. These tours can last for several hours or a few days.

b. An ecotourism package: A combination of an excursion, accommodation and catering elements. These tours are usually one-day tours or multiple day tours. c. An ecotourism full package tour: this includes all the mentioned elements. Sometimes, full package tours include one country or multiple country destinations which are spread across several days

Moreover, Kocevski (Creating Ecotourism Product, n.d) states that in creating an eco- product, there are various things that need to be well-thought-out, such as: 1. Considering sustainability: before beginning, creators of ecotourist products must put into consideration the sustainability of the area which will attain the best environmental, economic and sociocultural outcomes. 2. Feasibility study: creators must identify the most favourable investment opportunities before beginning. A lot of factors can influence this decision such as the investors knowledge of the tourist segment, identifying the financial outcomes of the investment, approval process and to note any issues that may be faced in the future. 3. Planning: A plan for the design of buildings, infrastructure, landscaping and access and environmental management system must be prepared. Additionally, economic and logistics valuation of the projects feasibility and sustainability must be done. 4. Assessment and approval: An effective proposal must be lodged to relative authorities. Additionally, some compromises might need to be negotiated to ensure the ongoing feasibility of the investment. 5. Construction: Construction of the site must go on with minimal environmental impact and maximum community support. Use of local resources whenever possible will also be beneficial. 6. Operation and management: Ensure ongoing implementation and evaluate effectiveness of the environmental management system. Provide training to staff about environmental management and cultural heritage. Encourage visitors to use local resources, visit local attractions and help the local community.

1.1.2 Ecotourism demand and characteristics of customers of ecotourism

In the past few decades, there has been an increase in demand for ecotourism. Chafe (2007) states that the various aspects of the growth of consumer demand are: i) growing

7 awareness of alternatives to mass tourism; ii) concern about environmental degradation; iii) interest in exploring new cultures and iv) willingness to pay for responsible travel and products As Weaver (2001) points out, for several decades, a minority of tourists want to get away from the masses and look for smaller scale experiences, which are of educative, personalized and unique nature. Additionally, Weaver adds that in order for ecotourism to be successful in the long term, measures need to be taken in order to protect the resources upon which ecotourism depends. He adds that it is important to take a holistic approach to ecotourism, meaning that there should be supply side ingenuities such as limitations of access, zoning schemes, pricing mechanism and monitoring. Blamey (1997) argues that since there is only a small proportion of the market that is currently demanding environmentally responsible tourism, it is best not to focus on ecotourism in response to other forms of tourism, unless ecotourism is the best solution for improvement or display of green tourism practices. Furthermore, Higham (2007) adds that the problems that adhere from unsustainable tourism development should not be solved by promoting ecotourism, which is a niche market, since it is bound to cause problems if the demand for ecotourism increases significantly.

There have been many studies which have been conducted for the purpose of understanding the motivation behind ecotourist trips and to recognize what the key features and preferences of ecotourism travellers are. Meric and Hunt (1998) state that ecotourists are usually middle aged people with a better education and higher income levels than general tourists. They also state that ecotourists activity preferences include observing wildlife, visiting state parks, national wildlife refuges and visiting historic sites as well as hiking wetland trails. Gale and Hill (2009) indicate that the chances of ecotourists having longer trips and being more tolerant of basic conditions are more probable than those of general tourists. They also specify that ecotourists tend to have more respect in general for local customs and cultures and are more environmentally conscious. Wight (1997) indicates that ecotourists look for uncrowded, remote areas, wilderness, learning about nature, local cultures, community benefits and having physical challenges. Furthermore, Field (2015) specifies that ecotourists can be domestic, but it has stronger association to international travel, specifically travel from developed countries from which the tourists want to visit natural resources that they wouldn’t be able to see in the developing World.

An earlier study which attempts to classify ecotourists is done by Kusler (1991) in which he classifies ecotourists based on setting, experience, and group dynamics. He set these classifications into three groups: a. Do-it-yourself ecotourists. These tourists tend to have a higher flexibility and mobility when it comes to using different types of accommodation. b. Ecotourists on tours. This group of tourists are more likely to travel to more exotic destinations are prefer a better organization within their trips. c. School/Scientific groups. These groups travel mainly for the reason of doing research and will stay in an area for longer periods of time, and are also more adaptable to severe site conditions than the other ecotourists.

An additional former study by Lindberg (1991) contrarily, classified different types of ecotourists based on what their desires to experience ecotourism are. He identified four types: a. Hard-core nature tourists: Tourists which main purpose is research or education or similar reasons. b. Dedicated nature tourists: These tourists have a wish to learn about local natural and cultural history and wish to especially visit preserved areas. c. Mainstream nature tourists: People whose main objective is to travel to exotic or untypical destinations. d. Casual nature tourists: People who experience nature as a by-product of their trip. Along with these characteristics, there can be behavioural patterns to identify ecotourists. Wearing and Neil (1999) state that the following are the eight psychographic characteristics of ecotourists:  Possession of environmental ethics  Inclination to not degrade resources  Biocentric rather than anthropocentric in orientation  Aims to benefit the environment  Strives for direct experience with the environment  Possesses an expectation of education and appreciation  Has high cognitive and affective dimensions

1.1.3 Impact of ecotourism

According to Honey (1999) ecotourism has the ability to empower and provide financial benefits to local people. Honey also states that the success of ecotourism is possible to be registered in environmental, social and political outcomes. Jagbir Singh (2010) explicates that ecotourism is travel that is less damaging to the natural and cultural resources than traditional tourism, which in theory, increases economic, social and environmental benefits. These two statements indicate that there are many positive impacts of ecotourism and Wearing and Neil (1998) specify what the probable positive impacts of ecotourism are:  Ecotourism encourages an understanding of the impacts of tourism on natural, cultural and human environments  Ecotourism ensures a fair distribution of benefits and costs  Ecotourism generates local employment, both directly and indirectly in the tourism sector and in resource management sectors  Ecotourism stimulates profitable domestic industries- hotels and other lodging facilities, restaurants and other food services, transportation systems, handicrafts and guide services.  Ecotourism seeks decision-making among all segments of the society, including local populations, so that tourism and other resource users can coexist. It incorporates planning and zoning which ensures tourism development to the carrying capacity of the ecosystem  Ecotourism creates recreational facilities which can be used by local communities as well as domestic and international visitors. It also encourages and helps pay for preservation of archaeological sites and historic buildings and districts.  Nature tourism encourages productive use of lands.  Cultural tourism enhances local community esteem and provides opportunity for greater understanding and communication among peoples of diverse backgrounds  Ecotourism monitors, assesses and manages the impacts of tourism, develops reliable methods of environmental accountability and counters any negative effect.

However, with all the positive impacts that come with ecotourism, a lot of the following negative impacts may occur as well:

 Ecotourism concentrated in sensitive areas which have limited capability to resist use of pressures will cause negative environmental impacts. (Simmons 2001, as cited by Diamantis ,2004).  The harassment of animals in wildlife areas . (Diamantis 2004),  Ecotourism can cause excessive amounts of trash and tramping in sensitive areas. (Diamantis, 2004)  Damage to plants, forest clearance, soil compaction, pollution, and marine resource destruction (Israngkura, 1996, cited by Diamantis, 2004)  Conflicts of interest, distrust, and polarization of wealth,  Cultural alienation,  Economic benefits of ecotourism can lead children to abandon their studies in order to help the families earn money,  Change of village landscape (Neth, 2008)

Based on these points, it is observable that for most positive impacts, there is a negative one that may occur just as likely, so it is important for ecotourism destinations and host communities to have a strategic plan for the development of ecotourism so that as many of the negative impacts can be overcome or at least minimized.

Environmental impact of ecotourism

Even though ecotourism has many positive impacts for the local communities and for the country itself, the environmental impacts are often looked over due to the economic advantages ecotourism brings to the country. Shamilla (2016) indicates that ecotourism can have two different impacts, which fall into the category of positive and negative. She states that negative impacts are always associated to the environment and the disturbance ecotourism produces. However, Weaver (2006) argues that ecotourism has great benefits for the environment, in the ways that there is direct financing in conserving the natural areas. Furthermore, Campbell (1999) states that negative environmental impacts can be put into 2 groups: Scenic: loss of the scenic beauty of the natural areas, Cultural: Damage of cultural and historical monuments. According to Ballantyne and Packer (2013), ecotourism directly affects the habitat through processes of tourism urbanization and impacts of visitation. They also explain that while the habitat is being conserved in one location, other areas may have suffered habitat loss

11 due to infrastructural development. Hall (2010a ) states that it is difficult to measure the effects of ecotourism on habitat and species loss because of the time lag between the initial tourism stimulus and the recognition of the occurring change. Hall (2010b) also argues that the impact of tourism is responsible for the loss of 3.5-5.5 per cent of species. According to Nair (2016), by claiming ecotourism is preserving the environment and improving living standards of communities, some negative impacts do occur, this is due to policy failures and no or lack of protection of natural resources because the government does not strictly monitor this. He also states that the income of local residents has been minimized and that natural reserves are being endangered due to the involvement of private parties.

Ecotourism is also considered to be linked to the spread of diseases due to the travellers that visit these remote locations thus being exposed to new pathogens and conversely transferring new pathogens to the indigenous species (Frost & Hall , cited in Ballantyne & Packer). Wilson (1995) explains that travellers to rural areas may have a higher exposer to local diseases and infections for several reasons: a. Their immune systems aren’t familiar with the new pathogens which are found in the new locations they are visiting. b. Their genetic systems are different to those of the local population. c. Travellers often have lack of or no knowledge about the risks of the locations they are visiting.

Conclusively, it is questionable if the environmental impact of ecotourism should be reason enough to not conduct any tourist activity in natural areas. As Weaver (2001) explains, if there is complete absence of human activity in a natural area, a different kind of economic activity will emerge, such as a logging or grazing industry.

Economic impact of ecotourism

The most tangible benefits of ecotourism are obviously linked to the financial benefits ecotourism brings to its host communities. Shamilla (2016) states that the positive impacts of ecotourism are analysed in the benefits provided to the destination in the form of economic, social and cultural development of the local communities. Additionally, Chestworth (2016) indicates that unless communities in rural areas are financially stable, tourism would won’t be able to contribute to the development of these areas as it could

12 otherwise. However, Lindberg (1996) argues that ecotourism is important especially for remote regions because it creates jobs in these regions which were otherwise non-existent, and even though the number of created jobs might not be on a large scale, small changes in such remote areas are significant. He also explains that the economic impacts of ecotourism are measured by three different categories: direct, indirect, and induced. Direct impact is the impact that happens from tourist’s initial expenditure, for instance money spent in gastronomy establishment, this establishment will buy its goods from other businesses, and this will create indirect impact. Furthermore, employees of these establishments spend their wages on purchasing other goods and services and this creates induced impacts.

A research by Lindberg, Enrique and Sproule (1996) (referenced by Sankaranarayanan 2014 and Erin, 2009), in Belize showed that ecotourism accomplished the generation of local financial benefits, generation of local care for conservation and additionally local support for protected zone management. In their results, they found that there have been both direct and indirect benefits to local communities which were studied in the research. Furthermore, results showed that 50% of local residents received direct benefits from ecotourism and 70% of non-tourism related jobs were found to be independent on tourism.

Cultural and Social impact of ecotourism

As mentioned by Neth (2008) ecotourism development can affect the host culture and social system and quality of communities positively and negatively. He also states that ecotourism will boost the local economy, thus having greater positive impacts on improving local products, services, and labor efficiency in order to support the ecotourism industry. He also mentions that the development of ecotourism could lead to the improvement of social and public services in the regions. These include services such as infrastructural systems, urban planning, environmental protection, community management, waste management and agricultural subsidies. Hinch and Butler (1996), state that in order for countries to develop ecotourism, they have to overcome their social and economic disadvantages by using guiding principles such as community involvement, small scale ventures, cultural sensitivity and land ownership. Ecotourism can also improve the education for locals, mainly by ecotourism operators offering educational programs for local communities or basic education for local children. Another benefit ecotourism can bring is that recreational facilities can be created which are then used by both locals and

13 tourists (Gaul 2003, Wearing 1999, as cited by Kocevski n.d ). Negatively, the growth of the number of tourists to these remote areas can put a strain on the freedom of cultural expression, and as a result of more interaction between natives and tourists, a gradual shift in culture may be formed, namely the more that natives interact with travelers, the more they will begin to integrate traveler’s behavior patterns into their own (Clayton 2017). This process is known as acculturation. Moreover, Clayton adds that another negative cultural impact can be the relocation of locals for the means of building hotels, ecotourism expansions and natural resource excavations. He gives East Africa as an example and states that about 70% of national parks and game reserves are located on the land which was taken away from an indigenous group called the Maasai, who did not receive any compensation for this. Another problem, according to Gibson (2010) is that the tourists who visit these areas are people who have more money and they spend a lot of money while on their trips, which can create resentment among the residents, for the fact that they do not have such opportunities. Furthermore, cultural symbols and crafts which have spiritual and traditional importance to residents may be malformed for the purpose of selling to tourists. Additionally, another example of cultural disruption is the disrespect of local norms and traditions by tourist, especially in Muslim countries. (Can ecotourism harm Africa? ,n.d.).

1.2 Introduction to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a small heart shaped land which lies in Southeast Europe. In the north , west and southwest it borders with Croatia , and on the east and south it borders with Serbia and Montenegro. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a relatively small country it is estimated that roughly 3,5 million people live on its surface which extends to only 51,129 km2 though it is small in size it has a long and rich history which was mostly affected by the four main religions in this country: Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Judaism, each of these religions greatly contributed to the development of this civilization (Clancy 2013). Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich tourist offer which is able to please the needs of all travelers regardless of budget and preference. (IBP,2013). There is great potential for the growth and development of tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina but a lot of its inhabitants still can’t recognize the chances for economic growth and development (Bibanovic, 2006).

1.2.1 Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich tourist offer which is able to satisfy the needs of all travelers regardless of budget and preference (IBP,2013). The most common forms of tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina include:  Adventure tourism: BIH has many mountains, canyons and rivers which set ideal conditions for the development of adventure tourism in the country. Adventure tours are retail-level commercial tours for clients that wish to take part in an outdoor activity which is more exciting and where the outdoor environment is enjoyed more as a setting for the activity than for its scenery, plants or animals( Buckley 2006).  Religious tourism: Due to BIH’s long and rich history and place of encounter and coexistence of different nations contributed to the creation of a single area in which these diverse nations of different religions coexist together which creates a backbone for religious tourism today. The Churches Tourism Association (2007) defines religious tourism as ‘promoting the best practice in welcoming visitors to places of worship and developing tourism potential and visitor experience of a unique part of historical and contemporary sacred heritage’. Although BIH has many famous religious monuments and attractions, the most famous include: 1) Sarajevo- due to its religious diversity, it is known as the Jerusalem of Europe. 2) Medjugorje – the place of Our Lady’s apparition, located 25km from Mostar is host to at least one million pilgrims every year. 3) Tekke1 on the Buna River in Blagaj- A place built in the 15th century near the springs of the Buna river. (Vjerski Turizam, n.d.).  Wellness Tourism: Myers et al. (2000) defines wellness tourism as ‘a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being in which the body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live more fully within the human and natural community. Ideally it is the optimum state of health and well-being that each individual is capable of achieving’. Due to BIH’s rich thermal, healing waters and springs. Wellness tourism has been growing rapidly in the past few years with thermal spas in over 15 cities.

1 A word of Turkish origin which means monastery of dervishes, especially in Ottoman Turkey. Source: Oxford Dictionaries retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tekke

 Coastal tourism: The definition of coastal tourism by Orams (1999) cited by the ICMTS is: “recreational activities which involve travel away from ones place of residence which have as their host or focus the marine environment or the coastal zone”. Neum is the only town that is situated in the 24km of BIH’s coastline (John R. Lampe, Paula Pickering, Noel R Malcom, 2016). Neum has many opportunities for growth since it is located near famous touristic cities such as Medjugorje, Mostar and Dubrovnik (Primorski turizam, n.d.).

It is definite that in the recent year’s BIHs tourism has been growing each year. To verify this claim, the author uses statistical data from the Institute For Statistics Of FB&(2015). The annual report for 2015 states that the total number of tourist arrivals was 723.389 which is 25,7% higher than the arrivals in 2014. The share of the domestic tourist arrivals were 25,8% and the share of foreign tourist arrivals was 74,2%. The institute also states that in 2015, the total number of tourist nights spent was 1.439,429 which is 31,5% higher than in 2014. The share of domestic tourist nights spent was 23,8% and foreign tourists share was 76,2%. The structure of foreign tourist nights, were from tourists from Croatia (10,4%), Italy (10,3%), Turkey(9,9%), Poland (6,3%), Slovenia(5,3%), France( 4,1%), Germany(3,9%) and Kuwait (3,3%). Tourists from other countries realized 46,5% of tourist nights. Table 1. indicates foreign and domestic monthly tourist arrivals and tourist’s nights for the year 2015 and the total number of tourist’s arrivals and tourist nights for 2014. The average length of stay for 2014 and 2015 was 1.9 days.

Table 1. Tourist arrivals and tourist nights 2014-2015

In 000 Tourist Arrivals Tourist Nights Total Domestic Foreign Total Domestic Foreign 2014 576 163 413 1.095 292 803 2015 723 186 537 1.439 342 1.097 I 29 11 18 57 21 36 II 28 12 16 52 21 31 III 40 15 25 75 26 49 IV 59 14 45 108 24 84 V 87 21 66 163 38 125 VI 77 17 60 150 33 117 VII 78 15 63 171 31 140 VIII 97 16 81 233 35 198 IX 84 17 67 165 32 133

X 69 17 52 129 30 99 XI 38 14 24 71 24 47 XII 37 17 20 65 27 38

Source: Institute for statistics of FB&H, 2015

1.2.2 Contribution of tourism and travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s economy

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (2017), it is important to look at the direct, indirect, and induced impacts travel and tourism has on a country. The WTTC measures these contributions through annual research. The WTTC explains that ‘direct’ contribution refers to internal spending on tourism, as well as government spending which refers to government expenditures on tourism services which are directly linked to visitors.

Figure 1. below portrays the direct contribution of travel and tourism. In 2016, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP was 711.1 mn BAM (2,5% of GDP). In 2017, this sum is expected to amount up to 763.6 mn. BAM which is a 7,4% rise. It is forecasted that direct contribution grows by 5,6 % by 2027 to 1,322.7 mn BAM.

Figure 1. Direct contribution of travel & tourism to GDP

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council,2015

According to the WTTC, total contribution of travel and tourism includes its wider spending which refers to indirect and induced impacts. ‘Indirect’ contribution includes

GDP and jobs supported by tourism investment spending, collective government expenditure which helps tourism activities in many ways, and domestic purchases of goods and services by areas that directly deal with tourists. The ‘induced’ contribution refers to the GDP and jobs supported by spending of those who are directly or indirectly employed in the tourism sector.

Figure 2. below depicts the total contribution of travel and tourism. The total contribution to GDP in 2016 was 2,626.6 mn. BAM (9.2% of GDP) and by the end of 2017 is expected to grow by this grew by 6.6% to 2,800.1 mn. BAM. Forecasters are projecting that by 2027 these figures will significantly grow by at least 5.7% which will amount to a total of 12.5 % of contribution to GDP.

Figure 2. Total contribution of travel & tourism to GDP

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council,2017

The WTTC states that travel & tourism created 22,000 jobs in 2016 which consists of 3% of total employment and this is forecasted to grow by 5.7% in 2017 to 23,000 jobs which consists of 3.2 % of total employment. This includes tourism sector jobs such as jobs in accommodation facilities, TA’s, airlines, and other transport services and, activities of restaurants and leisure businesses which are directly supported by tourists. The WTTC predicts that by 2027, the tourism sector will have generated a total of 30,000 jobs.

Figure 3. Direct contribution of travel & tourism to employment

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council,2017

In 2014, domestic travel spending generated 41.2 % of direct travel and tourism GDP compared with 58.8% for foreign visitor spending. Domestic spending was expected to grow by 2.8% ,and foreign visitor spending was expected to rise by 4.9% by 2015.

Figure 4. Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP: Domestic vs Foreign 2014

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council, 2015

However, in 2016 domestic travel spending generated 37,8% of the direct travel & tourism GDP, and foreign visitor spending generated 62,2 % of direct travel & tourism GDP. Based on 2014, domestic visitor spending has decreased by 3.4% and foreign visitor spending has increased by 3.4%. Domestic spending is expected to grow by 3,3% in 2017 and visitor spending is expected to grow by 9,9% by 2017.

Figure 5. Trave & Tourism Contribution to GDP: Domestic vs Foreign 2016

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council,2017

Though BIH has seen a rise in tourism in the recent years, there are still many areas that need to be improved. the International Monetary Fund (2004) indicates the problem areas:

a. Absence of a long-term strategy of the development of tourism in BIH, b. Inadequate legal and institutional regulation of tourism, c. Absence of long term vision at all levels concerning potential investment in the tourism sector, d. Inadequate and inappropriate accommodation capacities and incomplete tourist offer, e. Dysfunctional and cost-inefficient utilization of existing resources, f. Permanent shortage of domestic capital for a significant revitalization of tourist industry, g. Strict visa arrangements,

h. Incomplete hotel privatization process and low quality of accommodation facilities, i. Insolvency and over indebtedness of many tourist enterprises, j. Seasonal mode of operations.

1.2.3 Ecotourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Although BIH has a lot to offer in the form of ecotourism, it is still a new concept in BIH but in the recent years it has been becoming gradually popular. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the host to many remote, but very hospitable villages and areas whose inhabitants are now realizing the many advantages of ecotourism and how to make a profit from engaging in ecotourism. According to the Institute of Statistics of FB&H, there are 12 protected areas currently in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are all areas that could be of interest to future ecotourist travelers. Table 2. states the name, category, and surface area of the protected areas in BIH.

Table 2. National Protected Areas in BIH Name IUCN Category Surface Area, km2 National Park Una II 4.800,0 Natural Monument Skakavac III 1.434,2 Prokosko jezero III 2.226,1 Vrelo Bosne III 554,3 Tajan III 5.127,5 Nature Park Hutovo Blato V 11.556,4 Blidinje V 45.689,8 Protected Landscape Bijambare V 370,3 Bentbasa V 147,7 Konjuh V 2.411,4 Trebevic V 401,0 Source: Institute of Statistics of FB&H

1.2.4 Introduction to Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital and the largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo and its surrounding districts are home to 438,443 people (Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013). Its area expands to around 142 km2 and it is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina where the altitude ranges from 500 meters in the city center to more than 2000 meters in East Sarajevo. The Miljacka river runs through Sarajevo from east to west and is 36 km long. In the western part of Sarajevo, rises the river Bosna, which is one of the largest rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city is surrounded by slopes of the Olympic mountains of unique beauty, with peaks over 2000m high. The main mountains surrounding Sarajevo are: Treskavica with an altitude of 2088m, Bjelasnica with an altitude of 2067m, Jahorina at 1916m, Igman at 1502m and Trebevic at 1629m. (O Sarajevu ,n.d.)

Sarajevo has a very rich and long history and has been nicknamed by many the “Jerusalem of Europe”. Sarajevo, with its environment, number of cultural and historical and religious monument, as well as different nations that have lived together in the city for centuries, create conditions for the development of many different forms of tourism. In Sarajevo, there are 891 cultural heritage sites, of which 289 sites are in the municipality of Old Town and 209 sites are located in the municipality of Sarajevo Center. In 1984, Sarajevo was the host to the Winter Olympics, which demonstrates not only the sport, but also the culture of friendships that is nurtured there. (Kulturni Turizam, n.d.)

Sarajevo is the most touristic city in BIH. The Institute of Informatics, and Statistics of Sarajevo Canton indicates that the tourist arrivals in 2014 were 299.721, in 2015 364.231, and in 2016 the total arrivals equaled to 408,493. Regarding the nights spent by tourists in Sarajevo, in 2014 total nights spend summed up to 575.898, in 2015 there were 693.068 nights spent and in 2016 the nights spent totaled 827.003. This indicates that from the period of 2014 until 2016 there has been a large increase in tourist arrivals and in nights spent in Sarajevo. Figure 5. Indicates the arrivals and nights spent in Sarajevo Canton 2014-2016. For 2014 and 2015, the average length of stay was 1.9 days, and in 2016 it was 2.0 days.

Figure 6. Arrivals and Nights Spent for Sarajevo Canton 2014-2016

Source: Institute of Informatics and Statistis of Sarajevo Canton

In 2013, in Canton Sarajevo there were 66 accommodation establihsments, 3320 rooms, and 5706 available beds. However in 2014, even though the number of accommodation establihsments hadnt changed, there had been a slight decrease for number of rooms to 3315, and beds to 5659. Moreover, in 2015 there was a increase in number of accommodation establishments to 95, but a decrease in available rooms to 3261, and an increase in number of beds to 6354.

Figure 7. Accommodation capacities for Sarajevo 2013-2015

Source: Institute of development of Sarajevo Canton, 2015

Ecotourism in Sarajevo

Sarajevo has many different ecotourism products to offer. The most favored ecotourism products in Sarajevo are trips to the various mountains such as Bjelasnica, Mount Igman, Jahorina, Treskavica, and Trebevic mountains. Another famous activity favored by tourists is rafting. Sarajevo offers the Canyon of Rakitnica as an ideal rafting place. Other ecotourism products in Sarajevo include speleology, tours around traditional villages, tours around Sarajevo and its historical heritage sites, tours through various religious buildings and areas and finally visits to museums and art galleries.

Although there are many tour agencies located in Sarajevo which offer ecotours, Green Visions is the pioneer of the new ecotourism sector in BIH. They offer trips around the whole Balkan peninsula, but their primary location is in Sarajevo. Their recommended offer consists of (Our trips, Greenvisions.ba, n.d.): 1. Cultural heritage trips 2. Easy or strenuous day and multiday treks in Sutjeska National Park 3. Stunning cross-country mountain biking trips along the highland villages of Bjelasnica 4. Adrenalin rafting adventures on Bosnia’s world class rivers 5. Summer outdoor adventure and volunteer camps for youth.

They state that their tours offer and development projects provide the local communities social, spiritual, and economic support in order for these communities to maintain their lifestyles. Additionally, they state that they offer training and educational programs for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth. Furthermore, they are highly involved in protecting BIH’s natural waters and forest resources and building awareness for the most important issues that face todays BIH. (Our projects, Greenvisions.ba, n.d.)

1.2.5 Introduction to Mostar

In the Southern part of BIH, Mostar is the largest city and additionally is the cultural and economic center of Herzegovina. The city is located on the Neretva River Valley and is situated 40km from the border of Croatia (Jadranka Petrovic, 2013). According to Jadranka, the most important landmark in Mostar, is the Old Bridge. After the Old Bridge

24 was destroyed during the war which occurred from 1991-1995, the planning of the reconstruction of the bridge began. Finally, the bridge was rebuilt in July 2004. In the historic part of Mostar there are many rich historic and cultural sites such as, the museum of Herzegovina, the house of the great Bosnian writer Aleksa Santic, the Turkish house in Biscevica alley, and the old settlement Brankovac built in the Ottoman style with houses and courtyards of Old Mostar families. (Kulturni turizam, 2017 February).

Mostar is a relatively small city, which is why the tourists arrivals and nights spent aren’t very high. The only available statistics on Mostar were for the years 2008-2010. According to the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Environmental Protection of Herzegovina, tourist arrivals for 2008 consisted of 22.226, and tourist’s nights spent consisted of 39.986 during this period and the average length of stays was 1.7 nights. However, in 2009 there is a decline in these two categories as arrivals add up to only 18.765 and nights spent accumulate to 33.088, and the average length of stays are 1.7 days. Furthermore, in 2010 there is a slight advancement where total arrivals are made up of 23.982 and nights spent are totaled to 37.515, and for 2010, the average length of stays for this period is 1.5 days. These statistics show us the stagnation during the World crisis and then after in 2010 that it is slowly starting to increase. Although data is not available for the next years, from the total arrivals in BIH which were mentioned in section 1.2.3, it can be assumed that the tourist arrivals and nights spent increased furthermore.

Figure 8. Tourist arrivals and nights spent 2008-2010

Source: Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Environmental Protection of Herzegovina

It is apparent that in Mostar, the only available statistics are a little bit outdated and somewhat unreliable, and while numerous news articles state that tourism and accommodation capacities have increased, it is impossible to back up these claims with real data from the statistics agencies simply because they have not released this information. However, looking at the data on accommodation capacities from 2008-2010 it is visible that there hadn’t been much changes in this area during these years, other than the increase of number of rooms in 2009 from 309 to 319, and then again, a decrease in 2010 to 309 rooms. Nevertheless, with the increasing popularity of the neighboring region of Medjugorje, it can be assumed that tourism has also experienced substantial growth in Mostar in the past few years.

Figure 9. Accommodation capacities for Mostar 2008-2010

Source: Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Environmental Protection of Herzegovina

Ecotourism in Mostar

Mostar has many ecotourism destinations which appeal to ecotourists. The most popular tourist attractions include the Old Bridge of Mostar, Springs of Tekke in Buna, the Neretva river, and the Ottoman residences. Even though Mostar is a relatively small city, it has a decent number of tour agencies. While these tour agencies aren’t specialized ecotourism agencies, they do offer a wide number of different tours. The most famous tours offered in Mostar are:

1. Walking tours of the Old town and famous Old Bridge 2. Tours of the Tekke in Buna 3. Wine tours 4. Hiking tours 5. War Walking tours 6. Neretva River rafting

There is a lot of potential for developing Mostar as the next biggest ecotourism destination in BIH. Mostar is enriched with a unique natural environment full of forests, canyons, rivers, waterfalls, and lakes. Additionally, the water sources in the region are a huge source for electricity production. Mostar is also a great area for trekking, rafting, climbing, swimming and safaris which offer visitors to visit flora and fauna habitats which are still untouched. Conclusively, with a strong development strategy, the ecotourism situation in Mostar could flourish.

1.2.6 Assessment of eco-labelling criteria

For the improvement of environmental sustainability, ‘eco’ certificates are of high importance, both for the businesses and the rest of the World. The UNWTO indicate that only 5% of profits made from ecotourism, are put back into the local community. This shows that large corporations use ecotourism as a sales pitch instead of actually contributing to sustainable development. Moreover, a lot of businesses label themselves as ‘eco’ nowadays, but they don’t actually make any kind of quantifiable contributions, this is known as greenwashing (Can Ecotourism Harm Africa? n.d). In order for businesses to be certified as ‘eco-friendly’, there are a number of criteria they have to fulfill. The Green Globe provides certification, training and education and marketing to its members. Its standards are based on internationally accepted criteria’s which are updated twice a year from 15 years ago. Moreover, they state that the following are the standard criteria for the assessment of tourism related businesses. (Green Globe, Standard Criteria and Indicators, n.d.):

Table 3. Assessment of eco-labelling criteria Criteria

Sustainable  A sustainability management system is implemented Management  Legal compliance with regulations on health, safety, labor and environmental aspects  Employee training for their role in management of environmental, sociocultural, health and safety practices  Customer satisfaction is measured and corrective action is taken when needed.  Accuracy of promotional materials  Sustainable design and construction of buildings and infrastructure  Interpretation of natural, cultural and historical heritage is given to customers  Comprehensive communications strategy on sustainable policies, programs and initiatives Social/Economic  The business actively supports community development  Local residents are employed and training is offered as necessary  Local and fair-trade services are purchased, where available  Offer of means for local small entrepreneurs to develop and sell sustainable products  A code of conduct for activities in local communities is developed.  The business has a policy against commercial exploitation developed  Equitable hiring of women and local minorities  Legal protection of employees and payment of living wages to employees.

Cultural  Artifacts are not sold, traded, or displayed except if permitted Heritage by law  The business contributes to protection of important properties and sites and does not impede access to them by local residents  The business incorporates elements of the local culture while respecting the intellectual property rights of local communities Environmental  Purchasing policy of favoring environmentally friendly products for building materials, capital goods, food and consumables  Purchase of disposable and consumable goods is measures and action is taken to reduce their use  Energy consumption is measured, and actions to decrease overall consumption are adopted  Water consumption is measured and actions are taken to decrease overall consumption  Greenhouse gas emissions are controlled and measured and minimized  Wastewater is treated effectively and reused where possible  Solid management plan is implemented with goals to minimize waste  A strategy to reuse and recycle is implemented  The use of harmful substances is minimized or substituted by innocuous products when possible and all chemical use is properly managed  Practices for reducing pollution are implemented  Wildlife species are only harvested from the wild, consumed, displayed, sold or internationally traded as part of a regulated activity that ensures sustainability  No captive wildlife is held  The business uses native species for landscaping and restoration and takes measures to avoid the introduction or

invasive alien species  The business contributes to support of biodiversity conservation  Interactions with wildlife must not produce adverse effects on the viability of populations in the wild and any disturbance of natural ecosystems is minimized, rehabilitated and there is compensatory contribution to conservation management

Source: Green Globe, Standard criteria and assessment, n.d.

Next to the obvious sustainable benefits that amount from fulfilling these criteria’s, there are many benefits for the businesses as well. Namely, businesses have found that this certification has given them a competitive advantage, a way to connect with guest’s expectations, a road map to sustainability, a way to save energy and water, achieve the highest quality, international recognition for green practices, and operational efficiency across their chains. Conclusively, it is clear that it is extremely vital that businesses take the necessary steps to obtain these certifications. Not only for the environment around them, but also for themselves.

However, it was found that many businesses throughout BIH have no policies on environmental sustainability, and that only a few have gained an ‘eco’ certificate. The only available information on the environmental policies of businesses were on the carbon footprints of businesses.” A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to support human activities directly and indirectly, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide” (Time for change, n.d.). According to the scale, a carbon footprint up to 11kg is considered acceptable.

As found on bookdifferent.com, in Sarajevo there were 71 hotels, 27 hostels, 12 bed and breakfasts and 8 motels listed in the directory. However, only 11 hotels had a low carbon footprint from 6.6 kg to 10 kg. Additionally, only 4 hostels had a low carbon footprint from 5.4 kg to 9.9 kg. One bed and breakfast and 2 motels had a carbon footprint from 9.4kg to 11kg. Moreover, in Mostar there are currently 17 hotels, 26 hostels, 14 motels and 13 bed and breakfast listed in the bookdifferent.com directory. Unfortunately, there are no hotels in Mostar with a low carbon footprint. There are only 2 hostels with a low carbon

30 footprint of 6.7- 8kg. One motel and 2 bed and breakfasts have a low carbon footprint of 7.6-11kg. From this information, it is evident that accommodation establishments in BIH need to be educated about environmental policies and to comply with the mentioned standards.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is known to many for its great cuisine. Most of the traditional food in BIH contains organic meat, and some of the most famous dishes are Bosnian lonac, cevapi, beys soup, burek and grah. According the World Health Organization (2011), when it comes to food safety, BIH evaluated and scored above average in all six segments (Food and Drink in BIH, n.d.) Although there are many fast food establishments throughout the country, nearly all of them will serve fresh and most often organic ingredients. An example of this would be the numerous fast food establishments located in Sarajevo, which are popular for their meat dishes and typical fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes, peppers etc. which are incorporated in almost all the dishes. Although these establishments do not classify that they serve ‘bio’ food, it is apparent that fresh, organic food is highly expected in the country.

2.Methodology

Towards gaining a better understanding of the methods chosen to collect data, the researcher will explain the motivations behind choosing the specific data collection approaches. Moreover, the chapter will look in depth on how the data was collected, the sample group it was collected from, and finally how the results were analyzed.

2.1. Research design

The research was conducted by using a mixed method approach, which provides a more complete understanding for the research problem by collecting a combination of qualitative and quantitative data (Creswell,2014). The main approach used was the qualitative approach this is because, according to Smith (1994), a qualitative approach is more subjective than the quantitative approach of gathering numerical data. Therefore, the researcher mainly uses a qualitative approach. However in order to gain data through the questionnaire, a small scope of quantitative data was required to be collected. The two approaches were used in order to get more accurate results. The qualitative approach consisted of two different semi-structured interviews which were carried out on a different group of respondents, whereas the quantitative approach consisted of a questionnaire. In order to create the questionnaires, the researcher first chose to conduct the semi-structured interviews. This is called an exploratory sequential mixed method design, where the researcher begins with the qualitative research and explores the views of the respondents. Furthermore, the data is then analyzed and used to construct into the quantitative phase. (Creswell, 2014)

2.1.1 Sampling Method

The sampling method used for this research was purposive sampling. This is a method is used to sample members of a population built on a researchers’ judgement. The category of sampling used was maximum variation sampling, where the researcher concentrates on respondents with various characteristics in order to obtain a variety of different responses. The advantages of using this type of sampling method is that it is cost and time efficient. For the questionnaire, the researcher targeted people who appeared to be tourists in BIH. Additionally, the researcher targeted different age groups, but the respondents that were mostly willing to participate were younger generations. However, due to the low response

32 rate of the tourists, the researcher chose to implement a new method of data collection for the questionnaires which will be discussed further in section 2.1.4. For the business interviews, the researcher chose to find various types of businesses through the use of Booking.com and Google.com. The businesses that the researcher focused on were accommodation establishments, gastronomical establishments, tour operators, and transportation service providers. Finally, for the local tourism employees interviews, the researcher selected working individuals on the research sites, that were willing to participate.

2.1.2 Fieldwork

The research targeted tourists, tourism employees, and tourism-associated businesses such as hotels, transportation agencies, restaurants, and tour operators, these groups were chosen in order to get a broader number of opinions and recommendations needed for the research. The research sites which were chosen for the study investigated Sarajevo and Mostar since there has been a lack of previous research on these areas. Specifically, the areas of the fieldwork work conducted were in the Old town of Mostar, the Old town of Sarajevo, The Tekke in Vrelo Bune(Mostar), and in Vrelo Bosne (Sarajevo). The reason for choosing these sites was that they offer a greater variety of different tourist types, as well as local tourism employees from different backgrounds. The fieldwork in the Old Towns, offered the researcher the more general tourist population as well as employees which worked in tourism sector jobs, whereas going to the Springs offered the researcher to find more ecotourist travelers and tourism employees which worked in ecotourist areas.

The researcher established several criteria before approaching respondents for each group which data was meant to be collected from. Specifically, the tourism employee respondents had to have some knowledge about ecotourism and about the current ecotourism situation in BIH, as well as being involved in tourism related jobs or at least being involved in the tourism industry in the past. The selection criteria for businesses was that 9 would be chosen from and 6 from Mostar due to the fact that Sarajevo is a much larger city. Another criterion is that the businesses had to be tourism related businesses which were willing to take part in the interviews. A combination of large and small businesses were chosen for the purpose of getting more diversified information. For the tourist selection, the researcher decided to approach a diverse number of people which were to be found in tourism areas. Moreover, respondents for this group had to be tourists which have traveled to BIH at least

33 once. A knowledge of ecotourism was not necessary for the respondent. People with different genders, races, and ages were chosen.

2.1.3 Data Collection

In order to conduct the semi-structured interviews with the tourism employees, the researcher chose to mainly approach the individuals that worked at the research sites. The main activities of these individuals in the research sites were selling souvenirs, crops, food, and beverages. The individuals that were not approached at the research sites, were found mostly next to the main roads selling crops and other produce. A total of 15 tourism employees from Sarajevo and Mostar were interviewed for this part of the research.

For the third part of the data collection process, the researcher needed to contact various businesses. When searching for the businesses, as mentioned in section 2.1.2, the researcher used mostly Booking.com and Google.com to find which businesses would be suitable for the interview. The selected businesses were contacted through email in order of making an appointment for the interview. However, when asked to schedule a meeting with the respondents, all of them declined due to lack of time. After failing to meet with the respondents personally, the researcher chose to send them the interview questions through email. In the period from June 2016-March 2017, out of 50 businesses that were addressed, only 15 took the time to respond to the interview questions. The respondents consisted of 9 accommodation establishments, 3 tour operators, 2 gastronomy establishments and 1 transportation service operator. The first received response for the interview was received on June 6th, 2016 from the manager of Hotel Bristol, Mr. Sefik Gusic. After reviewing the information from the interview, the researcher decided to make the final version of the questionnaires which were intended for the tourists.

To conduct the questionnaires, a sample group of 160 respondents was used. At the research sites, 75 people were approached in the period of July 2016-September 2016, out of which only 25 chose to complete the questionnaire, the individuals that did not answer the questionnaire stated that they do not have the time or do not wish to answer the questionnaire for personal reasons. After failing to reach out to a wider number of respondents in the research sites, the researcher decided to reach out to numerous hotels and tour agencies in order to gain a wider sample group. Out of the 20 businesses that were

34 addressed mainly for this purpose, only 5 agreed to distribute the questionnaires. For this reason, an electronic version of the survey was created using survio.com. The businesses that decided to distribute the questionnaires consisted of 2 hotels, 1 hostel and 2 tour agencies. The rest of the respondents completed the questionnaire electronically from the period of December 2016-March 2017.

2.1.4 Data Analysis

The data collected from the interviews was carefully processed manually and additionally, the data from the questionnaires was processed electronically. The analysed data helped the researched gain an in depth understanding of the perceived impacts from the viewpoints of local residents and local businesses. Furthermore, the data from the interviews will be split into three categories: 1) Positive impacts, 2) Negative impacts and then additionally, the suggestions from tourism employees and local businesses will also be analysed and presented into tables for a clearer comparison and analysis. Finally, results from the questionnaires are offered in the form of graphs and tables, and descriptions.

2.2 Results and discussions

This section inspects and outlines the findings of the research to determine what are the impacts of ecotourism from the viewpoint of tourism employees and local businesses, as well as determining the behaviour of the ecotourists and their knowledge of ecotourism. The section is divided into 4 parts. The first part will examine research findings and assess the material on the positive and negative economic, social and environmental impacts from the perspectives of tourism employees and businesses. The second part will concentrate on the data gathered from the questionnaires which have been conducted on tourists in order to evaluate if the majority of tourists are ecotourists and to see if they environmentally conscious. The third part will focus on the suggestions from tourism employees and businesses regarding the impact of ecotourism, and to gain their insight on how ecotourism should develop in the future, as well as how local communities can benefit more from ecotourism, how they can raise awareness for environmental sustainability, and finally what the government should do in order to improve the overall situation. The final part will focus on analysing the given opinions and suggestions and determining whether they are realistic and if they could prove to be efficient for further development.

2.2.1 Positive & Negative economic impacts

After analysing the findings from the semi-structured interviews conducted with tourism employees and businesses, the results show that ecotourism has brought the many positive economic benefits. The first part of this section will focus on the results gathered from tourism employees.

While conducting the interviews with the tourism employees, the 15 respondents that were interviewed, 8 of them stated that before ecotourism started developing in their city, they worked in their own small farms, from which they sold their products next to the main roads and used their products for their own consumption and they also pointed out that the income they made wasn’t sufficient.

They reported that after they witnessed the growth of ecotourism, they were able to generate extra income by renting out their extra beds to tourists and allowing them to use their kitchen and toilet facilities. They also stated that from time to time they would be able to sell their farming produce to the tourists.

Out of the 15 respondents, 3 stated that they began to make pottery and small sculptures which the tourists would buy as souvenirs. These activities have given these locals extra income benefits and have directly contributed to the improvement of their lives.

When asking local business owners about the positive economic impacts, they all stated that due to ecotourism growth, more tourists have been coming in thus generating more profits for them. Additionally, respondents were asked to state the average expenditure of guest and as a result, 9 out of 15 respondents stated that their guests spend from 150-250 EUR per day (not including accommodation costs), 3 respondents stated that their guests spend from 500-850 EUR over the course of 6-8 days, 2 respondents stated that their guests spend from 50-150 EUR a day, and finally 1 respondent stated that guests spend from 50-250 EUR a day.

While assessing the negative economic impacts, research has showed that most of the residents in the study did not mention many negative economic impacts except for the fact that tourism is very seasonal in BIH. During the summer months it gets very busy, but the

36 rest of the year it is very low, and thus they are forced to find other alternatives on generating income during the low season. On the other hand, 2 of the respondents that were interviewed, stated that they were once involved in selling fruits on the side of the road when they were able to make enough money from it but after they stopped this they haven’t been able to get involved in tourism related activities since they do not have any beds to rent out and they are too old to work in the service industry. The other 2 respondents that were interviewed said that the garden where they grow crops is too small and doesn’t produce enough crops for them to sell so they use it for their own consumption, they also mentioned that since tourism has increased, the prices of goods were slowly rising. Mrs. Ljubica Dzubur from Mostar stated that:

“Ever since more tourists have started coming into the city, everything is becoming a little more expensive every year. Even when we do sell the crops, it is still not enough to cover our basic needs since the people that would want to buy our produce always ask for lower prices. So, we choose to use the crops for ourselves since we have no other way to survive” (Tourism employee, personal communication, July 2016).

This statement that prices have increased can be confirmed by the data from the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specifically, they state that in April of 2017, as compared to the same month of the previous year increased by 1.4%. They state that the average increase of prices was recorded in the divisions of food and non-alcoholic beverages by 0.7%, alcoholic beverages and tobacco by 4,1%. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels by 2,1%. Furthermore, education increased by 0.9%, recreation and culture by 1%, transport increased by 8% and the prices in restaurants and hotels increased by 0.6%. Although these are not very big differences in price changes, they certainly do have greater impacts on very low-income families.

Additionally, businesses were asked to indicate the high and low seasons for their businesses. Nine out of ten businesses indicated that the months from March-November are the high season and the low season starts from November-March. Furthermore, the rest of them stated that their high season is from May-October and their low season is from October-May.

2.2.3 Positive & Negative Environmental impacts

While conducting the interviews, the respondents were asked on what positive changes they have noticed on the environment. All of the respondents stated that the garbage that was usually found in the rivers, on the ground, was being disposed of and collected more efficiently. They stated that in the summer various NGO’s organize an action plan for young unemployed residents to come out and collect garbage from parks, rivers, and mountains in exchange for a daily rate. While this is an advantage, it was found that the negative environmental impacts severely outweigh the positive impacts which will be discussed.

Relating to the negative environmental impacts, the respondents had many things to say. All of the respondents mentioned that even though the garbage was being collected by the waste disposal companies, trash was still being thrown everywhere by tourists, and that there was an increase in the quantity of plastic bags and bottles found in the city.

Out of the 30 interviewed local resident and businesses respondents, 20 of them stated that even though the government has imposed some restrictions on cutting down trees in the forests for the reason of protecting the natural areas in the country, many residents still do not follow by this rule and do this in order to sell the wood they cut down for a lower price than of the tree logging companies, and this is very difficult to control since the size of the forests are very large.

Additionally, BIH has become fairly popular with Middle Eastern tourists for the reason that they enjoy the natural, cultural and historical heritage which can be found in BIH, and also because the temperature in BIH’s summer months is substantially lower than in the Middle East. Following this, 6 out of 30 respondents revealed that due to the investment interests from Middle Eastern tourists, a lot of land was being cleared in order to build resorts, villages, roads and parking lots in natural areas in the cities. and the result of this was severe negative environmental impact. These properties were all being built in forest areas with a lot of natural values, and with large ecosystems which could be damaged from all the construction happening. The respondents also reported that there has been an increase in traffic and noise from the vehicles coming in and out of the cities. This significantly contributed to the air and noise pollution.

While conducting the interviews with the local businesses, the researcher asked them if the majority of their guests can be considered ecotourists, 12 out of 15 respondents that were interviewed were accommodation establishments and they stated that they don’t consider their customers ecotourists for the reason that even though the establishments gave them the opportunity to save water by not changing the sheets every day, and not changing the towels every day, the majority of the guests chose to overlook this and still asked for these services on an everyday basis. The normal behaviour of an ecotourist would definitely contribute to sustaining the environment, and thus would not ask for these services on a day to day basis.

Out of all the mentioned negative impacts, the one that seems the most significant is the fact that residents to don’t respect the restrictions regarding the cutting down of trees for their own personal use and gain. The assumption is that since the development of ecotourism, if there had been some educational seminars for the residents on the importance of preserving the land and forests, most residents would have probably reverted from engaging in these activities.

2.2.5 Positive and negative social and cultural impacts

Data collected for assessing the social and cultural impacts was conducted through the semi-structured and informal interviews with tourism employees and business owners from Sarajevo and Mostar. According to the results, some positive changes in social and cultural sphere could be seen. This includes better communication among residents and tourists, the development of infrastructure, and promotion of cultural and natural heritage.

Ever since ecotourism has started growing, residents have reported that they enjoy coming out of the house even more, and that they enjoy talking to tourists, and even their neighbours, they explain that before, they were always worrying on how to survive with such a small paycheque, and now they don’t have to worry so much about that, and can enjoy other aspects of their life. A woman that sells handicrafts near the Old Mostar Bridge commented:

“I feel much happier now that there is so much going on, until our bridge was renovated, everyone was very conservative and nobody talked much to each other, there was a lot of

39 tension in the air, but now we all sit and have coffee together and talk about everything, sometimes even tourists sit down with us and want to hear about our life stories, which makes me very happy that someone from another part of the World wants to listen to my life story” (Tourism employee, Personal Communication, August 2016)

Another woman that works in a candy store in Bascarsija (Sarajevo) said that “So many tourists come into the store, and try our Bosnian candy, and the look on their faces when they try it makes me very happy”. (Tourism employee, Personal communication, March 2017)

Although some of the employees had stated in the previous section, that the infrastructural development has brought a negative impact to them due to the noise and destruction of land, many of them stated that now their life is so much easier. They explained that before they would have to walk 3-4km just to buy something from the store, and that before there weren’t even buses in their villages due to the absence of adequate roads, but now more stores are being built and the government has organized public transport even in the smallest villages because the roads have been renewed. At first it may not seem like this has any correlation with the development of ecotourism. However, before tourism started increasing, there had been no or minimal infrastructural developments done in the cities, but now as ecotourism is becoming more popular in BIH, it is visible that the government is investing much more in more remote areas to conform to the needs of the tourists as well as the residents.

A tour guide working for Funky Tours in Sarajevo, was asked about her opinion on the social and cultural impacts of ecotourism, and during the interview she stated that the countries cultural and natural heritage is being promoted much more nowadays which positively affects the business of the tour agency, she explains that even though they are a small tour agency, the traffic of guests has increased a lot in the past few years which is also a key component of the economic benefits.

After discussing the positive changes that have occurred, the author was interested to find out if there were any negative impacts, particularly whether or not ecotourism has brought more corruption in the residents and business owners and if there has been increased criminal activity, although a lot of the participants in the interviews did not want to

40 respond to this question, an elderly man who lives near Bascarsija (Sarajevo) decided to comment on this openly, he stated that:

“These people, they come from another city and open new businesses and always give the jobs to their family and relatives, and the few exceptions that don’t do this, they give their workers a minimal wage that they can barely survive on, and some of them even are late with the paycheques even for a few months. As for the crimes, a lot of these tourists that come have a lot of money and they show it off, and the crime rate in BIH is already high, so when these criminals see this behaviour they decide to take advantage of it”.

This comment also brings the assumption that the small local business owners have become more avaricious since ecotourism has brought its benefits to the region. It also shows that law enforcement needs to become stronger and more radical with the punishments in order to set an example for people that decide to engage in such illegal activities. According to Al Jazeera (2016), the crime rate in BIH increased by 36% in 2015 as compared to 2014. The crimes that affect tourists are non-violent street crimes such as petty theft, pick pocketing, vehicle break-ins and other related crimes ( OSAC, 2016).

The researcher then wanted to find out whether tourist behaviour affects residents in these cities. When interviewing an elderly woman that lives near a Hostel in Mostar selling handmade wool products, she was asked if tourists are respectful of the residents and if their behaviour is disturbing anyone. She wasn’t eager to answer at first, but then was told that her response will be anonymous and only used for the purpose of conducting research for the thesis. She explained: “In the city, everyone knows everyone, and we always greet each other even if we don’t know each other, it is our custom, but these kids that come from these developed countries don’t have any respect for us, even when going into our Mosques they have no respect for the rules and norms” (Tourism employee, Personal communication, July 2017)

A tour guide working for Green Tours, was asked the same question and his response was: “Even though we are an eco-tour company, many of our guests that are not ecotourists come from the Middle East, and though they do not damage the environment by throwing rubbish and such, they don’t seem to care at all about interacting with our locals and

41 learning about our customs more, they mostly care about themselves”. (Personal communication, March, 2017).

Conclusively, however the positive social and cultural impacts overshadow the negative ones, there still needs to be some improvement on the negative impacts, which will be discussed in the recommendations part of the thesis.

2.2. Opinions of BIH tourists, residents, and businesses on ecotourism

To gain a better understanding of the tourists that are coming into BIH, a questionnaire was conducted from the period of July 2016 until March 2017. The survey had a total of 24 questions, it also showed that the average completion time for 68% of respondents was between 2-5 minutes, for 13% of the respondents it was between 5-10 minutes and for 20% of respondents the completion time was between 1-2 minutes. In the questionnaire, 10 of the questions were close-ended, while 10 of the questions were rating questions with a scale from 1-5, where 1 represented “Not important at all’’ and 5 represented “ Very Important”. One question was a satisfactory question where 1 represented “Very displeased” and 5 represented “Very pleased”. Two questions in the survey provided multiple choice answers, and one question required an open-ended answer. The results were able to help the researcher understand if the tourists that visit BIH can be considered ecotourists, it also showed if the tourists were environmentally conscious and finally it received their opinions on how ecotourism should develop in the future in BIH.

This first question asked was regarding the gender of the respondents. Results showed that 45% of the respondents were male, and 55% of the respondents were female.

In the next question respondents were asked was their age. As seen in the figure below, the majority of the respondents were between the ages 18-30, with a percentage of 45%. The respondents which were aged 30-45 consisted of 17%. The second biggest age group that responded were people between the ages 45-60, which consisted of 23% of the sample group, and finally respondents which were 60-75 years of age represented 15% of the sample group. The researcher saw that the age group from 18-30 was much easier to talk to and more willing to participate at the time the researcher was attempting to conduct the questionnaires in person in the research sites. The researcher approached only a few people

42 from the age group 60-75 years old and the number of respondents for this group was only 24, and from this it can be assumed that this age group does not use the internet as much as the youngest group, which is why the researcher assumes this group has the lowest percentage of the whole.

Figure 10. Age of respondents

Source: Own research,2017

The next question which is of high importance, concerns the monthly income, allowance or pension of the respondents. This is important in assessing how much they would be willing to spend on additional services and activities while visiting BIH. The figure below shows that 47% of the respondents have a monthly income below 600 EUR, being that this is the largest group in the sample pool, it would be important to create packages which are inexpensive which would appeal to this group. This group consisted of students, retirees and unemployed persons. The second highest percentage is for respondents that make between 600-1500 EUR which consists of 33% of the sample pool, although this group has a larger income, allowance, pension, it can be presumed that they still would prefer inexpensive tourist offers. The next two categories have the same result of 10% for monthly income of 1500-2500 EUR, and more than 2500 EUR. These two groups would prefer more expensive and luxurious holiday packages which could be offered with building new modernized eco hotels.

Figure 11. Monthly income, allowance, pension

Source: Own research, 2017

Respondents were then asked to state their employment status where 45% responded that they have full-time jobs, while 10% had part-time jobs and only 2% were unemployed, 28% of the respondents were students, 15% consisted of retired individuals. This is relevant because based on this information, special packages can be made for each of the segments in order to attract them more.

Figure 12. Employment status

Source: Own research,2017

In the next part of the questionnaire, the questions asked were regarding the importance of features when choosing accommodation establishments. When asked about the importance

44 of location, the average star rating was 4, which shows that location plays a significant role when choosing accommodation. The most significant factors in choosing accommodation were the location which received a score of 4.7, price and cleanliness where the star rating was equally 4.8 out of 5. Surprisingly the least significant factors when choosing accommodation were green incentives which received an average star rating of 2.5 out of 5, recycling facilities which equalled to 2.3 on average and finally sustainability which had the lowest score of 2 .1 out of 5. This information shows us that out of the 160 respondents, most of them cannot be considered as environmentally friendly due to the fact that people who are environmentally conscious understand the importance of green incentives, sustainability and recycling.

The next question helped confirm the assumption made above that most of the respondents were in fact not ecotourists. The question simply asked the respondents if they consider themselves as ecotourists, 58% answered no, 22% said yes and 20% stated that they don’t know.

However, when asked to select criteria which indicate an accommodation was eco- friendly, the results showed that most of the respondents knew the basics of eco-friendly criteria in an accommodation establishment. To gain an insight on what respondents think indicates an accommodation is eco-friendly, they were given multiple choice options. It is interesting to see that 83% of the respondents stated that they consider an AE having a green energy tariff as eco-friendly. Recycling was also considered to be a criterion of eco- friendly accommodation by 80% of respondents. 63% of respondents stated that they consider solar panels to be a criterion of eco-friendly accommodation. Moreover, 61% respondents stated that asking for green feedback is an criterion for being eco-friendly. Interestingly, only 43% of respondents stated that bio food was a criterion. An AE which has a garden and radiant heating was considered to be a criterion by 30% of respondents. Only 15% of respondents stated that providing information on natural & cultural heritage was an criterion of an eco-friendly establishment. Lastly, 8% of respondents stated that providing facilities for disabled people was a criterion for an eco-friendly establishment.

Table 4. Criteria that indicates an accommodation is eco-friendly. Criteria Responses

Providing facilities for disabled people 12 Providing information on natural & cultural heritage 24 Garden 48 Radiant heating 48 Bio food 69 Asking for green feedback 98 Solar panels 100 recycling 128 Green energy tariff 133 Source: Own research, 2017

The next set of questions regarded the respondents trip to BIH, it included questions such as their overall experience, why they decided to visit BIH, whether or not they plan to visit again, what some of their positive and negative experiences were, and finally their recommendations on how they feel ecotourism should develop in BIH in the future.

When asked to rate their visit to BIH, respondents were given the option to give a score of 1 star which is lowest and equals to dissatisfied and the highest score which was 5 stars which equalled very satisfied. The average star rating was 4.4, where 55% of respondents chose 5 stars, 30% respondents chose 4 stars and 15% chose 3 stars. In the next question, they were asked if they are intending to visit BIH again and 63% answered Yes, 30% answered maybe and 7% answered No.

Furthermore, respondents were asked why they chose to visit BIH. The graph below represents that the top reason for visiting BIH is that it is a stop on the way to the respondent’s final destination. For many years it has been an issue that tourists only visit BIH for 1 or 2 days. It is important to realize what tourist’s motivations and wishes are in order to create better packages and offers for them and to increase their length of stay. The next reasons with the highest scores are: exploring a new destination and escaping everyday life However, the reasons for business, visiting natural & historical attractions as well as learning about local culture weren’t as popular. It would be significant to promote

46 cultural, natural and historic heritage more, so that it may appeal to all demographic groups. Moreover, the least popular reasons of visiting BIH were: an event, visiting friends/relatives, education, and shopping.

Figure 13. What made you want to visit BIH?

Source: Own research, 2017

The next question was an open-ended question to which responding was not required due to the fact that many people didn’t have time to write their experiences or simply chose not to, only 33% of the respondents answered this question where they were asked to write their positive and negative experiences during their stay in BIH. The most shared positive statement was that the nature in BIH is beautiful and that everything is very inexpensive. The most shared negative statement was that facilities and accommodation aren’t very contemporary and that there was a language barrier when communicating with people.

The question regarding the future of ecotourism development was a close-ended question where respondents were asked how they think ecotourism should develop in the future. In the results, 52% of the respondents stated that ecotourism should focus on local resident centred development which means that facilities and tourist programs are operated with the help of local resident. 45% stated that it should focus on facility centred development, which means building modernized eco hotels and resorts. Finally, only 3% stated that ecotourism should focus on resource centre tourism development which concentrates on minimizing facilities and initiating operational programs of environmental education.

Figure 14. How should ecotourism develop in the future

Source: Own research, 2017

Suggestions from tourism employees and businesses

Throughout the course of the semi-structured interviews, respondents were asked to give their opinions on how they hope the development of ecotourism can contribute to everyone’s benefit. During the interviews with the tourism employees, when asked the question ‘What are your suggestions on how to maintain ecotourism so that it contributes more benefits to local communities and the region?’, the respondents that use homestays as their main sources of funds said that they believe that advertising local homestays is an important part that could contribute to communities and that the government should promote these homestays more. Many of the employees mentioned that they would like to have an English training program so they could familiarize themselves with the language, in order to have better communication with the foreign visitors. Additionally, they mentioned that it is important to increase law enforcement, and to increase promotion of the region. Furthermore, local business responded to this question by saying that the residents from communities should gather together monthly to make new suggestions and give new ideas on what events they could host next and so on. They also said that everyone from each community should get involved in handicraft making, eco-food sales, providing walks around their farms and homes to the tourists. Moreover, a few of the respondents mentioned that the environment should be adapted to fit the tourists needs which includes placing benches in the natural areas and constructing roads for easier access.

2.2.1 Analysis of suggestions from tourism employees and businesses

In the table below, the recommendations will be analysed side to side. On the right side the tourism employee suggestions will be given, and on the left side will consists of local businesses suggestions.

Table 5. Suggestions from residents & local businesses Suggestions from tourism employees Suggestions from businesses

 Government should advertise local  Gathering of residents monthly for homestays developing new ideas and  Implement an English training suggestions program  Resident involvement in production  Increase law enforcement of handicrafts, bio-food and tours  Increase promotion of the region around their own farms and homes  Adapt the environment to fit tourists needs

Source: Own research, 2017

In this part, the researcher will analyse the suggestions from the employees and businesses and give an opinion on whether they are implementable and efficient.  Advertise local homestays: While in theory this is a good idea, it is highly unlikely that is will ever be implemented in practice. The reason for this is that advertising of any sorts is costly, and if the government was to advertise local homestays, they would have no profit from this since there are no tax regulations on homestays. This means that the only way locals could advertise their homestays successfully and with low costs is through the use of social media platforms.  Implement an English training program: Training in English is important to provide a better atmosphere for tourists and employees and to avoid any language barriers that may occur. While people have been learning English through everyday communication with tourists, an English program could help them grow even more and this could result in better employment opportunities for these people.

 Increase law enforcement: It is important to increase law enforcement, not just for the locals, but also for the tourists. The main issue in BIH today is the increasing crime rate and corruption, which directly affects everyone in the region. Stronger law enforcement would result in significant improvement of both local resident’s morale and in the overall image of the country.  Gathering of residents for new ideas and suggestions: Nowadays, residents have become somewhat distant from each other. This is mostly because they are all working on their own businesses, worrying about their own earnings. However, if the residents were to work together, and gather monthly or even a few times a year, to give each other suggestions and to come up with new ideas for events and workshops which could be of interests to tourists, it would prove that working together is more efficient than working alone  Resident involvement in production of handicrafts, bio-food and tours around their own farms and homes: Having locals engage in the creation and sale of handicrafts, the production and sale of bio-food and in providing tours around their farms and homes could be an efficient additional way for locals to benefit more financially. It will also let the tourists connect more to the locals and improve their perception of the residents of BIH.  Adapt the environment to tourists needs: Most of the touristic sites in the chosen areas haven’t had much improvement over the last few years. Many of these areas are difficult to reach and have inadequate roads and surroundings. Additional investments for these areas could build more awareness and it could increase the promotion of these areas more.

2.3 Discussion

During this study, the researcher has gained a lot of insight on the impacts of ecotourism and the importance of further developing ecotourism. To summarize the studied impacts, a table with the analysis of the positive and negative economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts is given.

Table 6. Positive & Negative Economic, Environmental and Socio-Cultural impacts Positive Negative Economic  Direct and indirect job creation  Prices of goods & services impacts  Extra income generation for rising residents  Seasonality  More profits for businesses

Environmental  More efficient waste disposal  Negative environmental impacts  Restriction of logging impacts as a result of infrastructural development  More noise & air pollution  Non-contribution of accommodation visitors to sustaining the environment  More garbage in tourist areas Socio-Cultural  Improvement of infrastructure  Increased crime and impact  Organization of public corruption transport  Inefficient law enforcement  Promotion of cultural, natural  Tourists are occasionally and historical heritages disrespectful to residents  Improvement of communication between tourists and locals Source: Own research, 2017

While examining the data from the research, the researcher found that much of it corresponded to the comprehensive literature. When ecotourism develops, both positive and negative effects come with that development. On the positive side, ecotourism has brought these regions direct and indirect employment and the financial status of the majority of locals has improved. However, because of these improvements, the costs of goods and services increased. Furthermore, ecotourism has also influenced the development of infrastructure, especially improvements of roads which lead to the launching of public transport links in many villages, as well as maintaining the promotion of natural, cultural, and historical monuments and other tourist attraction areas, it has also brought government restrictions on logging and has improved waste disposal. Negatively though, as a result of foreign investment activities, much of the land is being destructed due to the construction of

51 villages and buildings. Additionally, there has been an increase in trash in tourist areas, as well as an increase in noise and air pollution. Another issue is that residents still don’t respect the restrictions the government has imposed on logging which means that more monitoring is necessary. There have been also several indications of corruption and selfishness of small local business owners. Finally, the behaviour of younger tourists affects many of the locals and to them it feels like tourists are not respecting them enough.

It was also found that the tourists that visit BIH cannot be really considered ecotourists due to the reason that they don’t have any interests for eco policies of business. On the other hand, the results did show that the respondents did understand the basic principles of eco accommodation criterions. The respondents stated their opinions on how ecotourism should develop in the future and the most popular opinion was that ecotourism should focus on local resident centred development, which includes involving local residents in the decision-making process and allowing residents to create their own development goals, and sharing the profits with the communities. Tourists are a very important factor in sustainability and it is highly significant that awareness is increased among them.

2.3.1 Limitations of the search

The research came with some unforeseen limitations. These limitations arose when the researcher was attempting to personally interview employees that worked in the hotels. Mainly, the employees specified that they are not authorized to answer any questions that don’t have anything to do with their hotel. On the other hand another potential respondent which was a receptionist at a hotel stated that she doesn’t know if she is competent enough to answer the questions. When asked if her supervisor or any other manager in the hotel is able to answer, she refused to talk to the researcher anymore. Another limitation was that when trying to gain more responses from tourists, many of them refused to listen to the researcher. The main reasons for refusing to fill out the questionnaire could have been that they didn’t want to spend their time answering it. This led the researcher to gain more interviews by asking several businesses to distribute the questionnaires electronically during or after their guests stays as mentioned before.

3. Recommendations

In this section, the author will give recommendations on how local communities can benefit more from ecotourism. Recommendations on how environmental awareness can be increased among visitors, residents and businesses. Moreover, recommendations on how to be eco-friendlier will be explained. Finally, the author will give recommendations for governmental bodies and institutions. These recommendations will answer the research question on “how can the outcomes of growth of ecotourism be enhanced in Sarajevo and Mostar”.

 In natural areas, it is important to create nature trails which would allow tourists to only use these trails to walk on and not tramp on the grass and ground. Additionally, in some less sensitive areas, benches should be added. Moreover, bicycle trails should be constructed in and around the cities.  It is crucial that with the development of any ecotourism product, environmental awareness is also increased, both for locals and for visitors. Accommodation establishments can increase awareness by informing their guests prior to their arrival and during their stay about their green energy tariffs, water reduction programs and recycling programs. Additionally, instead of using paper leaflets or information cards in rooms to inform guests about these things, AE’s can use the television as a mean of informing the guests. They can create short informative videos in English with different subtitles with information about environmental impacts and how they can contribute to sustainable development. Moreover, tour operators should communicate issues of environmental degradation while conducting tours and explain the importance of sustainability to their customers. Finally, locals are usually the least informed about these things, and it would be of high importance for ecotourism operators or NGO’s to establish training programs or seminars on the topics of sustainability and environmental awareness.  It is definite that local residents should produce goods and services independently in order to benefit from ecotourism. However, it is important to spread different kinds of activities throughout the community, meaning that residents should all agree on who will produce what. For example, a family with a farm of cows can produce bio milk and cheese, on the other hand another family can produce wooden

souvenirs, a different household can produce and sell organic fruits and vegetables and so on. This is significant so that the income is spread out through the community and not only focused on one producer or supplier.  A lot of contribution can come exactly from the visitors. Even though a lot of regions may not have eco accommodation establishments, travellers should try to find eco accommodation whenever possible. Additionally, travellers should always reuse things such as towels, water containers and so on whenever they can in order to reduce water consumption and decrease litter as much as possible. Travellers should also contribute to local communities and local economies by buying anything local when available. Before their travels, travellers should always inform themselves about local norms and traditions of the country.  It is important that residents, tourists and anyone in the regions does everything to reduce their carbon footprint. It is important to promote more eco ways of travel such as walking, biking, and even using more public transport, as well as trains for longer distances. Additionally, it is important for households to purchase household equipment with the highest energy certification levels which will both save money and reduce the carbon footprint.  Recycling containers should be introduced in all parts of the cities, and people should use them as much as possible. The Czech Embassy has introduced the first underground recycling containers in Sarajevo in 2016, with the help of the company ‘Ekopak’, which purchased these containers from Czech producing company Reflex Zlin. (Kasicka, 2016). These underground containers are the next step towards successful waste management in BIH. In the future, recycling containers should be introduced to all parts of the country.  In BIH, the official institutions which manage the tourism sector data need to pay much more attention to the data regarding tourism. Namely, data regarding the waste which is created from tourist activities is non-existent, as well as statistics on the number of visitors in protected areas and statistics for number of vehicles that come into natural areas. Many statistics for cities are outdated and vary from agency to agency. It is important that this data is improved and updated with international standards. Moreover, government bodies should set limits on number of allowed visitors to protected areas so that negative impacts can be reduced.

 In order for the locals to start benefiting more from ecotourism, they need to attend English training programs. However, these programs are usually very expensive and people do not want to pay so much money for this. A solution for this would be for one school in each city to organize English courses once or twice a week for a set cost for all students. Residents from each community could gather and collect money and all give a specific amount to pay for the course.  One way hotels can increase awareness about the locals and about the fresh food they offer is by offering their guests trips to the farms from which they buy their fresh produce. This would be an interesting experience for guests to see exactly where their food comes from and it would also bring the locals more income. However, many of these farms have animals and it would be important to set a limit for the number of visitors each day towards keeping the disturbance at the lowest level.  Food & Beverage festivals are popular around the World, and they appeal to young and older generations. In Sarajevo, there are many festivals which occur, but in Mostar there are only a few. Additionally, they are not promoted as much as they should be. In Mostar, the most common festivals are music festivals, but it would also be good to create a wine festivals and festivals of bio food in order to introduce a wider number of people to traditional healthy organic food. In Sarajevo, there are many different festivals, but there are no wine festivals. So, it would also be a good idea to create a wine festival to attract more visitors.  For ecotourism to achieve sustainability in communities, local communities must be included in the planning and decision-making processes. Moreover, the income that comes from ecotourism activities should be shared with local communities and used to improve the community itself. This will create a feeling of a safe and positive environment for the locals and minimize the negative impacts which may occur on their lives and it will also strengthen their relationship with nature, thus they will be more willing to preserve it.  With the increase of corruption and crime it is important for government agencies to set stricter regulations, as well as to closely monitor the businesses. According to Vlassis (2015), monitoring helps to reinforce integrity and professionalism and holds the ones which choose to disrupt societal norms liable.

 Policies on environmental regulations should be introduced and updated regularly. Moreover, the government needs to limit Co2 and improve the air quality, as well as monitor the disposal of harmful chemicals and maintain risk reduction strategies. The government must also enforce penalties for the ones that engage in environmental crimes and damage the environment.  Accommodation and food and beverage establishments should implement eco- friendly policies. Namely, when possible they should install solar panels for maximum energy efficiency, instead of giving shampoos, conditioners and lotions in plastic bottles, hotels should use refillable pumps which would also incur less costs for the hotel and be eco-friendlier. Moreover, accommodation establishments must create a grey water recycling system and use recycled water whenever possible.

Conclusion

Ever since the appearance of ecotourism, it has been a way of reducing poverty in its host country and a way of increasing employment in developing countries. Through ecotourism, it is possible to increase environmental awareness to visitors and to local communities and increase the protection of natural habitats of a country. Ecotourism has the ability to stimulate profitable domestic businesses in the tourism sector. In order for ecotourism to contribute to the sustainable development of a country, strategies for development are required. It has been seen in countries in East Africa, that although outside corporations and governments are gaining huge profits, these profits are not nearly divided as much in the communities as they should be. This can create anger and resentment among the local communities which can cause them to purposely destroy the countries heritages. Another example of negative impacts in Africa is the harassment of wildlife, where people travel to for the purpose of hunting for trophy animals. Additionally, ecotourism can exploit the indigenous people of the host communities and exploit their traditions and culture.

The aim of the thesis was to assess the impact of ecotourism on Sarajevo and Mostar and to give recommendations for further sustainable development. The following were goals which were set in order to complete the overall aim of the thesis: 1. To describe the tourism industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ecotourism situation.

2. The partial aim of this study was to analyze the positive and negative impacts ecotourism has on the chosen cities. 3. To give recommendations for future improvement for local business owners, tour operators, residents, and tourists. 4. To give recommendations on how to increase environmental awareness of businesses, local residents, tour operators and tourists.

To achieve these objectives, the following research questions were created: 1. What are the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts of ecotourism on local lives in Sarajevo and Mostar? 2. How can the outcomes of growth of ecotourism be enhanced in Sarajevo and Mostar?

In order for the research question: “What are the environmental, economic, and sociocultural impacts of ecotourism on local lives in Sarajevo and Mostar?” to be answered, research was conducted in both selected cities with tourism employees and businesses. The two cities have great ecotourism potential due to the numerous natural, cultural, and historic attractions they possess. Statistics showed that over the years, tourism has increased in BIH, and that tourism was beginning to be a tool for poverty reduction. However, many of the statistics found were outdated and the data varied from different institutions. The data collected for the research was done by using a mixed method approach consisting of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, in order to get as much insight on the ecotourism situation as possible.

Research showed that both positive and negative impacts followed with the growth of ecotourism in BIH. The positive impacts of ecotourism began to be visible in areas such as infrastructure development, where new roads were being built; direct and indirect employment through tourism related jobs; organization of public transportation services to small villages which never had public transport; extra income generation for local community residents; promotion of the country’s heritage; and improvement of communication between tourists and locals and this is all continuing to improve over time. However, the negative impacts of ecotourism included increased prices of goods & services, seasonality, increased trash and pollution, destruction of land due to investment

57 activities, corruption and crime have increased. Moreover, residents reported that they are occasionally disturbed by tourists and their behaviour.

Nonetheless, there is much room for improvement, but it is visible that the positive impacts of ecotourism contribute much more to local lives than the negative ones do. However, it is still important to address the negative impacts in order to completely remove them or minimize them at least. Inside the community, the benefits must be divided fairly and regularly among the residents, so that it increases positivity inside the community as well as positivity towards nature, which in turn will directly contribute to the sustainability of natural areas. Communities must also be involved in the decision-making process of operations which go on in their city. Moreover, natural areas are in need of stricter regulations to limit visitation so that environmental values of the regions are not destroyed.

In conclusion, the goal of the study has been completed. The researcher has investigated the impacts of ecotourism on the regions of Sarajevo and Mostar and has additionally given recommendations for further enhancement. Lastly, this research has provided a lot of knowledge for the researcher and helped understand many issues and impacts that occur with the growth of ecotourism. Nevertheless, even with all the negative outcomes that occur, there are still many positive ones which in the end give confidence that BIH will continue to develop, becoming a more sustainable developed country which will cause the tourism industry to thrive.

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Appendix 1

Interview questions for tourism employees

1. What changes have you noticed since the development of ecotourism? 2. How do you currently make a living? 3. Has your economic situation change since the development of ecotourism? Please explain 4. Is your job directly and indirectly linked to tourism? 5. If you answered yes to the previous question, are you satisfied with the level of income you earn from tourism? 6. Do you enjoy communicating with tourists? 7. How do you feel about the tourists that come to BIH? 8. How does tourist’s behaviour affect you or your surroundings? 9. Are there any significant community improvements? 10. What positive/negative changes have you noticed on the environment? 11. Has there been increased corruption/crime since the development of ecotourism? 12. What are your suggestions on creating sustainable ecotourism that will also benefit local communities?

Appendix 2

Interview questions for businesses 1. How would you best describe your business? a. Accommodation b. Food & Beverage c. Tour agency d. Transportation e. Other:

2. What can your business be classified as? a. Small b. Medium c. Large

3. What percentage of your guests can be classified as: a. Ecotourists: b. Business travellers: c. Leisure tourists: d. Other:

4. Has the number of travellers in BIH increased in the last 5 years ? a. Yes b. No

5. From the ecotourist travellers that use your facilities, would you classify them as( in percentages) : a. Trying ecotourism for the first time: b. Frequent ecotourism traveller:

6. Please estimate the average expenditure of a guest while they are using your facilities ( Amount, currency, period of time)

7. What is the average age group of your guests? 8. Is there a demand for your goods and services throughout the whole year? a. Yes b. No 9. Please specify which months are high season and which months are low season for your business: 10. Do you think there have been any positive/negative economic/sociocultural/environmental impacts that can be contributed to the development of ecotourism in BIH? Please explain 11. How can locals benefit more from ecotourism? 12. How do you think tourist’s behaviour affects the lives of locals? Please explain 13. Has there been an increase in corruption/crime since the development of ecotourism in BIH? 14. What are your suggestions on creating sustainable ecotourism that will also benefit the local communities and the region?

Appendix 3

Questionnaires

1. What is your gender? a. Female b. Male

2. What is your age group? a. 18-30

b. 30-45 c. 45-60 d. 60-75 e. 75+

3. Do you mostly travel with: a. Family b. A partner c. With a group d. Alone

4. What is your employment status? a. Full time employment b. Part-time employment c. Unemployed d. Student e. Retired

5. Please specify your monthly income/allowance/pension in Euros a. Less than €600 b. Between €600-€1500 c. Between €1500-€2500 d. Over €2500

 For the next set of questions, the scale is from 1-5 stars, where 1 star means least important and 5 stars mean the most important

6. How important is location when choosing accommodation? *****

7. How important is price when choosing accommodation? *****

8. How important are green incentives when choosing accommodation (green energy tariff, water saving etc.) *****

9. How important are recycling facilities when choosing accommodation? *****

10. How important is cleanliness when choosing accommodation? *****

11. How important is sustainability when choosing accommodation? *****

12. Which of these criteria indicates that an accommodation is ecofriendly? Please tick one or more a. Garden b. Providing facility for disabled people c. Providing information on natural and cultural heritage d. Green energy tariff e. Solar panels f. Radiant heating g. Bio food h. Asking of green feedback from customers i. Recycling

13. Are you a frequent traveler to Bosnia & Herzegovina? a. Yes – I have visited Bosnia 2 times/more than 3 times b. No – First time

14. How do you rate your visits to Bosnia & Herzegovina? (1 star indicates that you were not satisfied at all , and 5 stars indicates you were very satisfied) *****

15. Are you intending to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina again? a. No b. Yes c. Maybe

16. What made you want to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina? a. Business b. To learn about local culture c. Historical attractions

d. Natural attractions e. Education f. Escaping from everyday life g. Shopping h. It was a stop on the way to my final destination i. Visiting friends/relatives j. An event k. To explore a new destination

17. Please write your positive/negative experience during your stay in Bosnia:

18. How should ecotourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina develop in the future?

a. Facility centered tourism development (Building modernized eco hotels and resorts) b. Local resident centered tourism development (Operating facilities and tourist programs with the help of local residents) c. Resource center tourism development (Minimizing facilities, operating programs of environmental education)