“Feel the Pulse of the Forest” is the name of the initiative that was implemented in 2024 in cooperation with Plitvice Lakes National Park and the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, and refers to the installation of 10 sustainable biomonitoring stations in the Park area that monitor tree growth, carbon absorption and meteorological data. One of the stations is located in the visitor zone of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, where visitors can see the biomonitoring station on site with a detailed explanation of the research on information boards and read the data on the trees they are currently observing from the QR code. In this way, exploring the nature of the Plitvice Lakes turns into an interactive learning experience that deepens the visitors’ awareness of forests as key “carbon reservoirs” and their importance in understanding climate change.

Biomonitoring of tree growth and carbon storage allows scientists from the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology to gain a deeper understanding of forest and climate processes, while the measuring station in the visitor zone enriches educational programs, guided tours and visitors’ insight into the Park’s efforts to preserve nature and adapt to climate change.

Plitvice Lakes National Park Management is extremely proud that through this nomination, the efforts of the Park’s employees to preserve this unique natural treasure have been recognized on a global level.

The announcement of the winners in all categories will take place at the ITB Berlin fair in 2026, one of the world’s most influential tourism fairs, where Plitvice Lakes National Park will once again be in the spotlight as one of the prominent examples of sustainable development in tourism.

Objava Top 100 Story of Plitvice Lakes National Park finalist for prestigious Green Destinations Award in Environment and Climate category pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The main activity of the National Park is the protection, care and promotion of the National Park with the aim of protecting and preserving the integrity of nature, ensuring the undisturbed development of natural processes and the sustainable use of natural resources, which, together with other activities such as monitoring the condition and control of conditions and measures for nature conservation, contributes to the exceptional value of this area. For this reason, the environmental criteria related to the National Park should certainly include nature conservation, although according to the Green Destinations criteria there is a separate chapter on nature and landscape, in which we were awarded the highest score, and a chapter on environment and climate, in which adjustments are required for certain criteria.

The report also addresses the social criteria in the form of visits, educational activities, local products, etc. In short, everything that represents the national park’s focus on the community, both globally in the form of visits and locally in the form of scholarships, education and interpretation, local products and sporting activities.

The management criteria include a brief overview of financial sustainability and human resources based on 2023 data, as well as recommendations for sustainable management, a positive practice that encourages National Park staff to adopt sustainability in their workplace.

The path to sustainability and sustainable development according to the Sustainable Development Agenda is not easy and there are many sub-goals to be achieved by 2030, both at global and national level. However, all these individual sustainable practises and activities implemented in different sectors will certainly contribute to a positive direction and be an incentive for others to join this path.

Objava Sustainability Report of the Plitvice Lakes National Park pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

On 16 October 2024, representatives of the Plitvice Lakes National Park participated in the workshop “Strengthening the Resilience of Tourism to Climate Change” held at the Hotel Gacka in Ličko Lešće, organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. This workshop is the 12^th workshop on the aforementioned topic, which has been held since 2022. The workshops are conducted based on the obligations of the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in the Republic of Croatia for the period until 2040 with a view to 2070 (OG 46/20), and with the aim of raising awareness among experts involved in the tourism sector about the impact, risks and opportunities for climate change adaptation and strengthening the resilience of local communities in the tourism sector. The workshop was attended by representatives of municipal and county tourist boards, representatives of the protected areas of the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the Northern Velebit National Park, a representative of the Lika Destination Cluster, and other interested parties. Online presentations were given by Željko Šimek from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition on the topic of the strategic and legislative framework in the field of climate change adaptation, and Natalija Šimunović from the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds on the topic of presenting national guidelines for climate proofing. Jelena Šobat presented on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on tourism reform and ecological certification. Vedran Katalinić gave a presentation on behalf of the Northern Velebit National Park on sustainable development in the function of tourism, and Željka Nikšić on behalf of the Lika Destination Cluster, i.e. the Lika Coop agricultural cooperative, on the topic of local products in the function of strengthening the resilience of destinations to climate change.

As the winner of the Green Destinations Silver Award, which we received as the Plitvice Lakes National Park in 2023, we were invited to present our own experiences and the process of going through the criteria (standards). The aim was to inform the participants about our path to sustainability, the activities we have initiated or the sustainable practises that are still under development and with which we are trying to achieve better compliance with certain criteria that need improvement. The topic of the development of the Plitvice Lakes National Park Management Plan 2019 – 2028 was also interesting for the participants, as it provided an overview of the participatory approach to the development of the plan, in which a significant contribution was made through workshops with stakeholders. At the workshop, Maja Vurnek, PhD, gave a presentation on behalf of Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Tourism communities are facing new challenges in the development of destination management plans and we hereby encourage all tourism stakeholders to achieve sustainable practises and implement sustainable policies in the industry to strengthen the resilience of tourism in challenging times where climate change has a significant impact and for which it is necessary to develop an adaptation and mitigation system.

Under the link https://youtu.be/uuhitMypss4?si=GCK9BPuOJ96BRl9O you can watch the recording of the 12^th workshop with presentations, while all previous workshops with presentations are available at https://mint.gov.hr/odrziviturizam/upravljanje-i-edukacija/23013.

More information on sustainable tourism can be found on the website of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Objava Workshop “Strengthening the Resilience of Tourism to Climate Change” pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".

The Promotional Week in the Plitvice Lakes National Park will take place from 1 to 8 October 2023, offering tickets at special prices:

• Adults: 10,00 € (75,35 kn) per person
•  Students: 6,50 € (48,97 kn) per person
• Children (7 – 18): 4,50 € (33,91 kn) per person

* Children up to 7 years and persons with disability (over 50%) 50 % – GRATIS

Tickets must be purchased online and we also recommend that you choose one of the visit programmes in advance or download our app to make the most of your visit.

CELEBRATING WORLD TOURISM DAY

On 27 September, a variety of activities await you at Entrance 1 to the National Park:

• Free guided tours for individual visitors, departing from Entrance 1. Two separate tours will be available at different departure times (10 a.m. and 11 a.m.) until the maximum number of visitors per guide has been reached. Both scheduled tours give visitors the option of taking the guided programme B (along the Lower Lakes) or programme C (along the Lower and the Upper Lakes). The language(s) of the guided tour depend(s) on the guide’s proficiency. The bear mascot will take group photos with visitors at the viewpoint overlooking the Great Waterfall.
• Groups may mingle with the bear mascot from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Park Information officers and Park Interpreters will distribute leaflets and inform the visitors about the activities.
• The “Izvor Rakovica” Cultural and Arts Association will perform at 10 a.m. at Entrance 1,
• while the tasting of local products (the Lika platter with cheese, bacon, authentic “uštipak” fritters and “rakija” fruit brandy) awaits visitors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Note for guided tours:

* The number of visitors is limited. Guests will be able to sign up for guided tours by obtaining their reservation number at the information point.

GREEN DESTINATIONS AWARD

The Plitvice Lakes National Park has received the silver Green Destinations Award for sustainability, making it the first Croatian national park to have received such recognition. The Green Destinations Award recognises sustainable tourist destinations all over the world by analysing social, ecological, economic and cultural aspects of sustainable development. The award stresses the importance of sustainable destination management, which creates value for tourists, the local community and the environment alike. Croatia has been slowly but surely taking steps toward its goal of sustainable tourism and the Green Destinations Award is a significant step on that journey.

Objava World tourism day pojavila se prvi puta na Nacionalni park "Plitvička jezera".