The paper delivers possibilities of ecotourism development within the area of a cycling path along the river Drava in Upper Drava region which is situated between the settlements of Recenjak and Zlatoličje. Due to the absence of proper infrastructure, the Slovenian Drava cycling route is quite unrecognizable as a tourist and, ultimately, as a recreational trail. The aim of the thesis is to suggest inclusion of local accommodation providers and extension of existing cycling route to its surrounding natural and cultural sights, presenting those to the cyclists by using interpretive tools. The first part explains the professional terms that are important for understanding the context of ecotourism, followed by an overview of good practices of ecotourism destinations in Slovenia and abroad, proceeding with an overview of strategic documents and guidelines for tourism development in Slovenia at the national, regional and local level. The analysis also includes a comparison with other countries that already expanded their ecotouristic offer along cycling routes and marketed it successfully. The cycle path along the river Elbe in Germany and the Austrian Drava cycling route were selected as examples of good practice in ecotourism. The current situation of tourism in each municipality by the river Drava in the selected section is also described. Spatial, economic and environmental characteristics of the area and the recent volume of tourism are highlighted. In the second part, an interview with tourism stakeholders and a survey for tourists along the Drava Bike route was conducted in order to identify their needs and opinions on the attractiveness of the bike destination and receive suggestions for potential improvements. As part of practical work, an analysis of attractiveness (supply and demand) for the development of ecotourism on individual sections of the Drava cycling route was made. The result was supported by the guidelines for designing an ecotourism destination, which are presented on the final strategic map.
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