Sustainable tourism in the protected areas: The evidence from Kopaonik national park

In modern societies, tourism has the potential to create many income options for the local communities, as well as to contribute to the physical and mental health of people in a variety of ways. Although enhancing the development of economic activities and employment possibilities for residents, tourism can also cause negative environmental effects. The purpose of sustainable tourism is to enable sustainable economic growth and development which is socially acceptable and harmonized with environmental capacities. To ensure sustainability, tourism activities in the protected areas, such as national parks, must be adequately planned, managed, and supervised. In this regard, the aim of the paper is to assess the indicators of sustainable tourism development in Kopaonik National Park in order to demonstrate that sustainable tourism is a desirable form of tourism in protected areas, as well as to point out the advantages and disadvantages of sustainable tourism in Kopaonik National Park. The analysis has revealed that by promoting awareness and investing in environmental preservation, tourism in protected areas has the potential to make a substantial contribution to economic development without compromising the quality of the protected areas in terms of biodiversity, geodiversity, and cultural and historical values.