Geoethics supporting geotourism modelling: Assessing karst geosites and management practices in Serbia and Montenegro^☆

Abstract

This study presents the development of a comprehensive karst geoethics assessment model (KGAM) that integrates karst vulnerability, conservation practices, and tourism utilization to promote a geoethical approach to International Best Practice (IBP), ensuring appropriate karst site management. The primary goal is to assess the performance from a geoethical perspective of sustainable management strategies for geologically significant destinations. As a case study, eight karst geosites in Serbia and Montenegro were subject to evaluation using four sets of indicators: karst vulnerability (KV), human activities (HA), conservation efforts (CE), and geoethical tourism performance (GTP). Results reveal a range of vulnerabilities, conservation statuses, and tourism practices across the geosites, highlighting significant challenges, particularly in waste management, biodiversity loss, and geoethical awareness of local communities. Whilst a few geosites demonstrate robust conservation efforts and low human interference, others face high vulnerabilities from tourism and urban activities. The study emphasizes the need for specialised management strategies, educational programs, and geoethical practices to ensure the sustainable management and conservation of karst geosites. Recommendations for targeted interventions, stakeholder involvement, and geoethical tourism promotion are provided to improve the long-term sustainability of these unique landscapes.

Keywords

Karst geoethics / Geotourism / Geosite assessment

Author summay

^☆ This article is part of a virtual special issue “Contemporary Trends in Geoheritage and Geotourism Development” published in International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Aleksandar Antić: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Software, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Mike Buchanan: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Supervision, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Milica G. Bosnić: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Resources, Project administration, Formal analysis, Conceptualization. Miloš Marjanović: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Validation, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Giuseppe Di Capua: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation. Silvia Peppoloni: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation. Slobodan B. Marković: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Supervision, Resources, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Velibor Spalević: Writing - review & editing, Visualization, Validation, Supervision. Rastko Marković: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Data curation, Conceptualization. Nemanja Tomić: Writing - review & editing, Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Supervision, Methodology, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Data curation, Conceptualization.

Ethical statement

Ethical approved was obtained from Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Declaration of competing interest

The author Nemanja Tomić is the editorial board member of International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks. The authors Miloš Marjanović and Nemanja Tomić are the guest editors of the virtual special isse "Contemporary Trends in Geoheritage and Geotourism Development" and were not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

Aleksandar Antić and Mike Buchanan sincerely acknowledge the invaluable support of the International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) in advancing the research on karst geoethics. Slobodan B. Marković is grateful to Silesian Technical University for the guest professorship position selected by the Rector's Commission for Awards and Pro-quality Programmes. This research was also supported by Project F-178 of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, as well as Lamination Project 17807, financed by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. Milica G. Bosnić is grateful for the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science award. This research was partially funded by the Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 003118884 2024 09418 003 000 000 001-02).

Data availability

The survey data are available on demand from the corresponding author.

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