In Slovenian Istria, due to increasing numbers of tourist visits, seasonality and tourism, as well as the limited amount of space, the consequences of intensive tourism development and different land uses, spatial and social conflicts are emerging, which are experienced by both local residents and tourists. The purpose of the master's thesis is to investigate the dimensions of spatial and social conflicts in Slovenian Istria and to find solutions for sustainable coexistence of both social groups. The state of tourism is presented by analysing the motives for visiting, types of tourism, tourist infrastructure and products, an overview of the number of arrivals and overnight stays of domestic and foreign tourists, the seasonality and structure of guests, and the calculation of tourist indices. The analytical part, based on data obtained through observation, surveys of tourists and visitors, and focus groups with local residents, includes an analysis of spatial and social conflicts. The most common spatial conflicts occur in the areas of traffic regulation, pollution, public infrastructure, and tourist offer. The most common social conflict is poor tolerance of tourists by local residents. The thesis explains the reasons for such an attitude in irritated locals. Based on the findings, Slovenian Istria can be divided into three main conflict areas: (1) the most conflict area - cities and settlements of the coastal part that encounter excessive tourism, (2) the medium conflict area - the remaining tourist-burdened areas of the coastal part, and (3) the least conflict-ridden area – a hinterland that is less developed in terms of tourism. The spatial strategy for the sustainable coexistence of local residents and tourists in Slovenian Istria defines the main goals for each of these areas, and to achieve the goals, it foresees several spatially defined measures. The strategy offers possible spatial and other solutions to ensure tolerant coexistence and further tourism development of the area.
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