Water quality as an indicator of local residents’ attitudes towards tourism development: A case study of settlements along Veliki Bački Kanal, Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

Veliki Backi Kanal (VBK) is a very important waterway in Serbia and partof the Danube-Tisza-Danube hydro-system. VBK runs through the centralpart of Backa, connecting the rivers of Danube and Tisza, and as suchpossesses high unused tourism potential. In order to develop tourism inthis region, local residents' attitudes are being investigated inrelation to the use of VBK for recreational and tourism purposes. Thedata obtained are analyzed in the statistical program SPSS. The samplecomprised 500 respondents in ten settlements. In order to use aparticular water surface for recreation and tourism development, it isnecessary to have water of adequate quality. Water quality ofwatercourses is determined on the basis of the water quality index(WQI), a qualification system for describing water quality of surfacewaters. The research results showed that along the entire course of VBK,there are sections which are clean and entirely suitable for tourismdevelopment and sections which are completely degraded. Local residentshave positive attitudes towards tourism development of VBK, inparticular towards rural and ecotourism development. The resultsobtained offer an opportunity to determine guidelines which caninfluence tourism development in these and similar areas.