Detection of the Seasonally Activated Rural Areas

Abstract

Rural areas have been usually observed through agriculture; however, today, it is broadened with various activities. In Serbia, it has been characterized by unbalanced development, which has led to a declining vitality and depopulation. The main goal of this research is detection of seasonally activated rural areas in Serbia, expressed through the population fluctuation, temporary settlement, or occasional use of residential and economic facilities, and identification of spatial patterns of seasonal use. This research applied an innovative proxy—nighttime lights (NTL)—as a complementary tool to statistical analyses, which are conducted in the GIS environment. The calculation encompassed two seasonality coefficients: one based on the NTL and the second based on statistical data on tourist turnover. The spatial frame applies settlement level and micro level (pixels), while temporal includes monthly values for the period 2015–2019. The obtained results highlight tourist activity as the main cause of seasonal activation of rural areas. The largest seasonal fluctuations were registered in mountain areas and spa resorts. For mountain areas, the highest seasonality is in the winter months (peak—January/February), and lowest is in the summer season. The seasonal character of spa centers indicates the similar trend, generally less pronounced (peak—January), however, with higher seasonality during the summer.