the lack of interpretation at fortresses along the danube in serbia
the lack of interpretation at fortresses along the danube in serbia the lack of interpretation at fortresses along the danube in serbia
192 ● The Lack of Interpretation at Fortresses along the Danube in Serbia•Opportunities stand for favorable circumstances and interesting trends to exploit anyparticular strengths and potential for future development.•Threats are almost always external features and can pose major problems and majoreffect on the future of a site. It is important to anticipate these threats and try to minimize ornegate them.Table 2. SWOT analysis of fortresses along the Danube in SerbiaStreinghtsHistory, Heritage, Culture and ArtsNature and idyllic milieuAvailable all year roundVariety of events through the yearHospitality facilities (restaurants, shops...)Day-trip destination for outdoor activitiesOpportunitiesPotential of cultural route creationDevelopment of new services (visitorcentres, bike renting, souvenir shops, etc)Interpretation, visitor education, animationand eventsEmphasizing and improving tourist servicesDeveloped management and marketingsystemProvision of accommodation, internaltransportation, museum and event activitiesWeaknessesInternationally unknown as a heritage sitesBad quality of infrastructure and access pathsAccess mostly by foot and long walkingdistancesLimited availability to some attractive assetsNon-exsistence of visitor centresLack of interpretation and informationLack of accommodation facilities andtransportation systemMostly recreation and event oriented visitorsrather than culture orientedThreatsLack of maintenance and conservationDegradation and litterLack of fundingConflicts between residents and touristsImage problems through unfavorablemanagement, marketing or behavior of event visitorsFrom facts presented in Table 1, it seems clear that, the strengths for tourismdevelopment in Danubian fortresses certainly share many aspects with the strengths of otherheritage sites or attractions with similar characteristics. Therefore the analysis will confineitself to examine the weaknesses and opportunities more closely. The threats, in turn, can beconsidered as consequences of ignored or inadequately managed weaknesses and missedopportunities. As the core of this research comprises interpretation and visitor education,these will be the areas specifically focused on, when looking deeper into the SWOT analysisof fortresses. The first thing to point out is that those sites face is a great problem withdegradation. The most widely reported risk to archaeological type of heritage, such asfortresses, is the lack of maintenance and conservation of remains. Damage toarchaeological heritage is almost certain when excavated cultural features are left exposedwithout any management plan or resources for their protection, conservation ormanagement. The impacts range from physical deterioration - such as the cracking andspalling of monumental stone structures, and the weathering and crumbling of mudbrickfeatures - to the erosion and slumping of excavated cultural layers, as well as vandalism and
Aleksandra STANOJLOVIC, Andjelija IVKOV-DZIGURSKI, Aleksandra DRAGIN ● 193looting. It should also be mentioned that certain archaeological heritage sites are at riskbecause they are not valued as much as other heritage sites. Risks include a lower level orno statutory protection, or limited resources for protection, management and conservation,because that country allocates greater status and protection to monumental archaeologicalheritage than less visible and less imposing archaeological features. Other problem isseasonality of visits. While the winter season is extremely quiet and almost all the servicesonly have restricted availability, the fortress are flooded with visitors in the spring andsummer season. Moreover, due to the vicinity of hordes of residents in everyday life arepulled in. Together with the fact that there appears to be a lack of interpretation andexplanatory sign-posting, this indicates that there are extensive impacts on the environment(natural and cultural) in that time. The seasonality could be partly addressed through theorganization of several cultural events in the low season to shift the amount of visitors. Eventhough most of the mentioned fortresses not have large scale touristic visitation, certainlevels of degradation through visitor impacts can be found. For the visitors the various longtermdamages resulting from tourism do not necessarily become obvious, which mayexplain the lack of concern and the ignorance in their behavior in many respects. On thesubject of insufficient amount of free promotional material, information and marketing offortresses as valuable heritage sites, it can be stated that this goes hand in hand withinterpretation. The process of interpretation for the visitor begins in the promotionalactivity, as the brochures obtained off-site set a certain scene in the mind of the visitors.Providing good information for visitors may encourage a match between visitor wants andthe benefits fortresses can offer. The attractiveness of Danubian fortresses and thesensitiveness of the sites as heritage assets demand changes in the management towardsmore responsibility and concern.5. INTERPRETATION ON DANUBIAN FORTRESSES IN SERBIAFrom all the different tourist facilities, only those that were accessible at the time andtherefore could be observed in terms of interpretation and visitor animation, were includedin the research and rated according to different levels and extend of interpretation. Thisframework model provides an effective tool to consider the extent of interpretation inheritage sites, defined in terms of the level of interpretation that the several facilities withinfortresses exhibit.The criteria used for analysis was as follows:- No-interpretation - basic information about fortress as heritage sites are notavailable.- Simple interpretation - the basic information (maps, signs, brochures) and someservices (guided- tours, electronic displays, special exhibitions and other interpretative toolsto give detailed explanation to visitors) are available.Sophisticated interpretation - use of all tools and their integration in the visitormanagement with the aim to foster positive attitudes for conservation and appreciation toensure the long-term protection of the site as well as continued visitor enjoyment.Observing the Graph 1. it points out to the fact, that there is very little informationand poor visitor service at the most of the fortress in Danube region in Serbia. Access tosome of the places is constantly restricted. It is rather so, that in order to obtain materials or
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192 ● The Lack <strong>of</strong> Interpret<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>at</strong> Fortresses <strong>along</strong> <strong>the</strong> Danube <strong>in</strong> Serbia•Opportunities stand for favorable circumstances and <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g trends to exploit anyparticular strengths and potential for future development.•Thre<strong>at</strong>s are almost always external fe<strong>at</strong>ures and can pose major problems and majoreffect on <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> a site. It is important to anticip<strong>at</strong>e <strong>the</strong>se thre<strong>at</strong>s and try to m<strong>in</strong>imize orneg<strong>at</strong>e <strong>the</strong>m.Table 2. SWOT analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>fortresses</strong> <strong>along</strong> <strong>the</strong> Danube <strong>in</strong> SerbiaStre<strong>in</strong>ghtsHistory, Heritage, Culture and ArtsN<strong>at</strong>ure and idyllic milieuAvailable all year roundVariety <strong>of</strong> events through <strong>the</strong> yearHospitality facilities (restaurants, shops...)Day-trip dest<strong>in</strong><strong>at</strong>ion for outdoor activitiesOpportunitiesPotential <strong>of</strong> cultural route cre<strong>at</strong>ionDevelopment <strong>of</strong> new services (visitorcentres, bike rent<strong>in</strong>g, souvenir shops, etc)Interpret<strong>at</strong>ion, visitor educ<strong>at</strong>ion, anim<strong>at</strong>ionand eventsEmphasiz<strong>in</strong>g and improv<strong>in</strong>g tourist servicesDeveloped management and market<strong>in</strong>gsystemProvision <strong>of</strong> accommod<strong>at</strong>ion, <strong>in</strong>ternaltransport<strong>at</strong>ion, museum and event activitiesWeaknessesIntern<strong>at</strong>ionally unknown as a heritage sitesBad quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructure and access p<strong>at</strong>hsAccess mostly by foot and long walk<strong>in</strong>gdistancesLimited availability to some <strong>at</strong>tractive assetsNon-exsistence <strong>of</strong> visitor centresLack <strong>of</strong> <strong><strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>at</strong>ion</strong> and <strong>in</strong>form<strong>at</strong>ionLack <strong>of</strong> accommod<strong>at</strong>ion facilities andtransport<strong>at</strong>ion systemMostly recre<strong>at</strong>ion and event oriented visitorsra<strong>the</strong>r than culture orientedThre<strong>at</strong>sLack <strong>of</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>tenance and conserv<strong>at</strong>ionDegrad<strong>at</strong>ion and litterLack <strong>of</strong> fund<strong>in</strong>gConflicts between residents and touristsImage problems through unfavorablemanagement, market<strong>in</strong>g or behavior <strong>of</strong> event visitorsFrom facts presented <strong>in</strong> Table 1, it seems clear th<strong>at</strong>, <strong>the</strong> strengths for tourismdevelopment <strong>in</strong> Danubian <strong>fortresses</strong> certa<strong>in</strong>ly share many aspects with <strong>the</strong> strengths <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rheritage sites or <strong>at</strong>tractions with similar characteristics. Therefore <strong>the</strong> analysis will conf<strong>in</strong>eitself to exam<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> weaknesses and opportunities more closely. The thre<strong>at</strong>s, <strong>in</strong> turn, can beconsidered as consequences <strong>of</strong> ignored or <strong>in</strong>adequ<strong>at</strong>ely managed weaknesses and missedopportunities. As <strong>the</strong> core <strong>of</strong> this research comprises <strong><strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>at</strong>ion</strong> and visitor educ<strong>at</strong>ion,<strong>the</strong>se will be <strong>the</strong> areas specifically focused on, when look<strong>in</strong>g deeper <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> SWOT analysis<strong>of</strong> <strong>fortresses</strong>. The first th<strong>in</strong>g to po<strong>in</strong>t out is th<strong>at</strong> those sites face is a gre<strong>at</strong> problem withdegrad<strong>at</strong>ion. The most widely reported risk to archaeological type <strong>of</strong> heritage, such as<strong>fortresses</strong>, is <strong>the</strong> <strong>lack</strong> <strong>of</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>tenance and conserv<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> rema<strong>in</strong>s. Damage toarchaeological heritage is almost certa<strong>in</strong> when excav<strong>at</strong>ed cultural fe<strong>at</strong>ures are left exposedwithout any management plan or resources for <strong>the</strong>ir protection, conserv<strong>at</strong>ion ormanagement. The impacts range from physical deterior<strong>at</strong>ion - such as <strong>the</strong> crack<strong>in</strong>g andspall<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> monumental stone structures, and <strong>the</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g and crumbl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> mudbrickfe<strong>at</strong>ures - to <strong>the</strong> erosion and slump<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> excav<strong>at</strong>ed cultural layers, as well as vandalism and
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