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Anton Gosar Layers of Tourism in Protected Ecosystems of Slovenia

Table 5 Triglav National Park (TNP): Visits, Bed-nights, Mountain Rescues 2018 – 2021
Mountaineering % Bed-night stays in % Bed-night stays in % Interventions of Mountain %
in TNP * the TNP area municipalities partly Rescuing Teams in TNP
Bohinj - (in 000)** within TNP*** ****
2018 172.711 100 661 100 3.945.332 100 322 100
2019 176.798 102 710 107 4.052.241 103 394 122
2020+ 158.827 92 465 70 2.395.659 61 292 91
2021+ 179.864 104 584 88 4.012.302 102 399 124
Sources - + pandemic years: SarsCov 19.
Notes * Statistics of the automatic cameras (April to August) in TNP at: Bohinjsko jezero, Krma, Lepena, Planina Blato,
Tamar, Zadnjica. Source: Triglavska Roža, Bled: M. Odar, 2022. ** Source: Headquarters of the Triglav National Park (Tri-
glavska Roža, Bled: M. Odar, 2022). *** Source: Statistical Office of Slovenia (2022). **** Source: Mountain Rescue Service
(Gorska reševalna služba, 2022): municipalities with TNP area)

the Julian Alps. Early attempts to protect the alpine ginning of the pandemic, tourist visits dropped by a
mountainous range go back to the beginning of the third. According to results from cameras registering
20th century. In 1924, Albin Belar, a radio broadcaster visitors hiking to the park’s core, mountaineers de-
(1864 - 1939), succeeded Triglav Lakes Valley, an area creased by just 11% (159.000). In 2021, as the vaccine
of 1.6 km2, and became declared “The Alpine Protec- against the virus became available, the visits to the
tion Site”. 1981, the Bill of Triglav National Park (TNP) Triglav National Park (TNP) ‘s core increased 2018 by
passed the Slovenian Parliament. In addition, the 2%. Along with the growing number of visitors, rescu-
protection of 839 km2 of the mountainous area of the ing teams’ (Gorska reševalna služba, 2022) interven-
Eastern Julian Alps was finalised. Triglav - the Three tions increased by 24% (Table 5). On the edge of the
Head Mountain has become the nation’s symbol and park, visitors were intrigued by the many installations
is engraved in the Coat of Arms of the Republic of that satisfied the desires of post-industrial humans.
Slovenia. In 1895, the priest Jakob Aljaž placed a mi- Leisure/recreation supply installations - like zip lines,
cro tower - a galvanised sheet of metal called Aljažev rafting, canyoning, downhill skiing and biking, flying
stolp (the Aljaž Hut) - on the top of the mountain. in several styles and walking over trees… are mush-
This structure evokes the memory of the national rooming. Since they are an “open air” experience, they
awakening and symbolically outlines opposition to were heavily visited in the Covid-19 pandemic years
the then-ruling (Austrian) elite. Nowadays, people’s (like in the municipalities of Bohinj, Bovec and Kran-
proverbial saying, “If you’ve not been on Triglav, jska Gora). Major motives creating the contemporary
you are not a Slovenian” (“Kdor ni bil na Triglavu ni layers of tourism in the TNP are related to a) the lei-
Slovenc”). Proof of continuous visits and interest in sure-time motivated impacts, b) the nation-state’s pro-
the wealth of mountainous/alpine nature is found in tection and intervention management and c) private
recent statistics provided by the nation-state’s statis- and societal economic interests. Second home con-
tical office, the Headquarters of the Triglav Nation- structions are the most visible layers of tourism in the
al Park and the register of the Mountain Rescuing TNP. Starting in the 1960s, in socialist Yugoslavia, in
Teams (Table 5). times of de-privileged agriculture, the locals’ pasture
Municipalities sharing the area of the Triglav Na- lands and farm huts started to switch ownership. Po-
tional Park (TNP) reported that at the height of the litically and economically privileged urban residents
pandemic, in 2021, tourists equalised overnight ac- settled in. This trend continued and was, to a certain
commodations of the pre-pandemic years and even extent, stopped with the national park legislation. In
increased visits by 2% with the year 2018. At the be- a limited form, the construction of second homes

108 | Proceedings of the 7th UNESCO UNITWIN Conference