Client: Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas of Varaždin County (PI “Nature of Varaždin County”)

Funding: EU grant – Project “Arboretum Opeka – sustainable green destination” NPOO.C1.6.R1‑I1.01‑V1.0009)

Country: Croatia

Period: 10/2025 – 02/2026

Description:

DVOKUT‑ECRO prepared the Visitor Management Plan (VMP) for the Monument of Park Architecture Arboretum Opeka for PI “Nature of Varaždin County”, within the project “Arboretum Opeka – sustainable green destination”. The Plan is designed as an operational document that helps align visitor use with the conservation of the Arboretum’s outstanding natural, landscape, and cultural-historical values, as the oldest protected natural area in Croatia.

The VMP was developed in line with the principles of adaptive management and participatory planning, with a strong focus on stakeholder involvement. During preparation, two stakeholder workshops were held (covering the current situation, pressures and threats; and the development of objectives and activities), providing key inputs for shaping measures, priorities, and implementation mechanisms.

The document provides a comprehensive framework for visitor management through:

• site zoning (sensitivity levels and use regimes),

• rules of conduct and a matrix of permitted/conditionally permitted/prohibited activities,

• recommended visitor routes and the identification of hotspot areas and potential conflict zones,

• an analysis of acceptable (carrying) visitor capacity based on the IUCN LAC approach, as an operational basis for regulating visitation intensity,

• and a visitor monitoring and evaluation system that enables data-driven management decisions.

The result is a practical, implementable plan that links the protection of the Arboretum’s values with the development of visitor infrastructure and programmes, supported by clear measures for management, communication, and stakeholder cooperation.