Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Geographischen Gesellschaft, Band 166/2024, pp. 239-262, 2025/04/30
Band 166 (Jahresband), Wien 2024
Volume 166 (Annual volume), Vienna 2024
The paper describes the field research in two cities in the South Banat District. The aim was to determine whether the population used protected areas on the territory of their cities for recreation and excursions. Appropriate criteria were used to select a total of five protected areas: three in the territory of the City of Pančevo and three in the territory of the City of Vršac (one area covers parts of the territories of both cities). Field research was conducted in 2022 in the cities of Pančevo and Vršac, covering a total of 962 respond-ents. The study employed a combination of direct and online surveys, with data analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Key findings revealed significant socio-demographic influences on recreation patterns, with gender, age, and employment status shaping activity preferences and visit frequen-cy. Motivational factors such as stress relief, physical activity, and nature appreciation emerged as the primary drivers of visitation. Accessibility, including transportation op-tions, was also identified as a critical determinant of recreational engagement. The main contribution of this work lies in providing data that can be used as an ad-ditional guideline for planners, decision makers and managers of the selected protected areas. The results of the survey can guide further activities in these areas, while the tourist organisations of the two cities can grasp the profile of potential excursionists and recrea-tionists (age, gender, mobility, activities they engage in) and their needs, which should be the focus of future marketing campaigns, all that with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of life of the urban population.
Keywords: Protected areas, nature-based recreation, city dwellers, South Banat, Serbia
