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The economic opportunity of rewilding

2 Nature tourism

2.3 Tourism case study: creating a large wildlife corridor in the Velebit mountains



Wildlife watching hide in the Velebit Mountains in Croatia. The photo shows a small wooden cabin in a forested area. The cabin is constructed from stacked logs, with the circular ends of the logs facing outward, creating a rustic and natural appearance. The structure has several windows and appears to be elevated slightly off the ground on wooden and stone supports. The surrounding area is lush with green foliage and tall trees.

Wildlife watching hides in the Velebit mountains, Croatia, offer a chance to see some of Europe’s most iconic species. Credit: Nino Salkić / Rewilding Velebit.

In the Velebit mountains of Croatia, Rewilding Velebit is focused on creating a large wildlife corridor and restore wildlife populations in this part of the western Balkans. It aims to achieve this by transforming the wildlife management through the lease of five hunting concessions totalling nearly 30,000 hectares.

Situated in the heart of the Velebit Nature Park, Croatia’s largest protected area, the hunting concessions are between two national parks – the Northern Velebit and Paklenica National Parks. Together, this forms a nearly contiguous landscape where wildlife and its population dynamics can recover in an area of over 70,000 hectares.

Activity: How tourism can support a transition to a wilder landscape

Allow 20 minutes

Watch this short documentary by Emmanuel Rondeau (2024) about the work of Rewilding Velebit in Croatia, including how tourism in the Velebit mountains can support a transition to a wilder landscape.

Reflect on the film you have just seen.

Does anything inspire you or offer a new perspective on how changing economic activities can support rewilding?

The aim in the Velebit mountains is to transition away from traditional hunting in these concessions to wildlife watching. This includes the creation of large breeding zones, population reinforcements (like releases of red deer, chamois, and Eurasian lynx), creating moratorium on hunting of such species, and promoting human–wildlife coexistence. Brown bear, grey wolf, and Eurasian lynx live here, and more and more people are visiting to see these species. In this way, wildlife photography and related tourism is bringing new and scalable business opportunities to local communities.

Tourism based on a number of new, fully operational wildlife watching and photography hides started in spring 2023. In the first 6 months the new wildlife hides hosted 15 groups of guests totalling around 50 people. This generated a first income of around 7000 euros, which could be higher in future with stronger marketing and promotion. Half of the revenues will be reinvested in nature, while more than 2000 euros has gone to local providers of food, accommodation, and transport.

This success has generated local interest, and it has created new jobs too. Guides from the local area have been trained and they are now taking visitors on hiking tours and photo safaris. Rewilding Velebit also pays local people to clean and maintain the hides.

Ensuring these benefits reach local people is essential so that people are willing to live alongside wilder nature. You will learn more about this in Module 5.

Two individuals inside a wooden hide, likely used for wildlife watching and photography, in the Velebit Mountains in Croatia. The hide has several rectangular windows providing a view of the lush, green forest outside. One individual is pointing towards something outside, while the other appears to be looking in that direction. A camera with a large telephoto lens is placed on the ledge in front of them, indicating that they are prepared to photograph wildlife or nature scenes. Three people standing on the roof of a vehicle, silhouetted against a twilight sky. One person is pointing into the distance, another is looking through binoculars, and the third person appears to be adjusting a camera. The scene suggests exploration or adventure. The vehicle appears to be an off-road type, indicating they might be in a remote or rugged location.

Communities in the Velebit mountains are already benefiting from growing numbers of tourists and the creation of jobs.Credit: Nino Salkić / Rewilding Velebit (left); Staffan Widstrand / Rewilding Europe (right).