Tourism and Sustainable Development in the Croatia–Slovenia Cross-Border Rural Area: Attitudes of Local Residents and Visitors

This paper explores the attitudes and involvement of tourism development in rural and remote cross-border areas in Croatia and Slovenia. These locations were selected due to their valuable cultural, historical, and natural resources. The purpose of this study was to identify how tourism can contribute to the sustainable development of these areas through the identification of positive and negative impacts based on perceptions obtained through a survey of residents and visitors. Results found that the local population positively assessed employment and quality of life as benefits generated by tourism, while identifying negative consequences such as price increases and crowds. Visitors highlighted negative aspects (environmental impact, availability of services), while recognizing the contribution of tourism to the preservation of space. The results emphasize the importance of harmonizing the interests of local communities and visitors in the planning of sustainable tourism, through continuous involvement of local stakeholders, periodic monitoring of attitudes, and preservation of natural and cultural resources as the basis of tourism development. Because tourism can change the area and culture of any destination, it is important to measure key stakeholder attitudes specific to tourism development in cross-border rural areas.