Spatial and environmental preconditions for the establishment of nautical tourism ports

Abstract

This paper analyses the spatial and environmental characteristics of the Croatian Adriatic from the aspect of nautical tourism development. Analysis of the characteristics important for nautical tourism development will deal with the most attractive locations on the Croatian Adriatic, and it will recommend and suggest further development of all the elements of nautical tourism together with its complementary activities - nautical economy. The trends observed in nautical tourism in the more developed Mediterranean tourist countries may be expected or are already present in Croatia as well. That experience facilitates the design of the development direction for Croatia. Namely, geographical, historical and the surrounding specific features of the Croatian coast, the mentality of the local inhabitants, the level of economic development which includes the development of communal, traffic and social infrastructure, etc., imposes to the planners certain limitations which were not present in those countries, or were not of the same shape and extent. The authors analyse spatial possibilities in the function of nautical tourism development. They analyse legal features and suggest solutions that support development of nautical tourism that respects the area and its acceptance and other possibilities. © 2013 WIT Press.