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The carrying capacity of mountainous tourist areas: the case of plastira’s lake
The determination of limits of social capacity is perhaps the most difficult, because it is based
exclusively on the estimates of values, while for its estimation questionnaires, public research
and interviews used. The social capacity is defined as the most possible level of recreation
regarding the number of visitors and activities above which the reduction of the visitors’
recreation experience will come up. The visitors do not have all the same perception of the
tourism capacity of an area. This differs depending on the social characteristics of the visitors,
depending on the activity of recreation and is altered within time. The social factors that limit
the capacity of recreation are those that depend on the visitors’ social characteristics (age,
income, educational level, place of residence, home) (Trakolis, 2003).
THE AREA OF PLASTIRA'S LAKE
The Palstira’s Lake area is consisted of 14 municipal districts and 37 hamlets. In 2001 the
population was 7.906 people. It was increased by 23,09% in relation to 1991 and by 3,59%
over the twenty-year period of 1981 – 2001.
The Palstira’s Lake area is consisted of 14 municipal districts and 37 hamlets. In 2001 the
population was 7.906 people. It was increased by 23,09% in relation to 1991 and by 3,59%
over the twenty-year period of 1981 – 2001.
The area’s 565 -bed capacity is in all type of accommodations (hotels, lodgings) and rates.
Most hotels are small family businesses (on average 25-bed capacity per unit). Tourism activity
has increased over the last years both in terms of numbers of arrivals and numbers of overnight
stays. These trends are solely attributed to the increase of domestic tourists. However, there
is also an increasing demand from visitor tourists in arrivals and overnight stays.
The proximity of the area to the town of Karditsa plays an important role to the access of
many holidaymakers. The study area - in a greater geographical, economical and socio-cultural
context- belongs to the mountain range of Pindos. The whole of this range is an area rich in
natural and cultural resources. Consequently, the promotion of the special features of all areas
and the creation or the reinforcement of the tourism flow among adjacent areas is imperative.
The area of Plastira's Lake is a protected natural area of the NATURA 2000 network, with
particular land and aquatic characteristics and elements, which make it one of the most
interesting and beautiful areas in Greece. It is a mountainous area in Agrafa, which form part
of Southern Pindos and it includes the artificial Plastira's lake and most of the land ecosystems
of the lake. It is characterized by rich biodiversity, by variety of landscape and exceptionally
rich – qualitatively and quantitatively – fauna, while the diversity of vegetation shows the
presence of a rich and interesting flora (GTO, 2003). The most important elements of the
natural environment which in their total create a landscape of particular aesthetic value are
the following: (a) the existence of mountainous areas, (b) the existence of water in an altitude
of approximately 800m, (c) the variety of vegetation and ecosystems that are formed by the
Tourism Today - Fall 2007 - Full Paper
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