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Journal articles on the topic 'Visitors to protected areas'
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Chow, Alice S. Y., Anson T. H. Ma, Gwendolyn K. L. Wong, Theresa W. L. Lam, and Lewis T. O. Cheung. "The Impacts of Place Attachment on Environmentally Responsible Behavioral Intention and Satisfaction of Chinese Nature-Based Tourists." Sustainability 11, no. 20 (2019): 5585. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11205585.
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Increasing visits to protected areas in China have drawn public attention on the negative impacts on ecologically sensitive areas. Understanding potential determinants of the environmentally responsible behavioral intention of nature-based tourists has become a common focus in tourism studies. Scholars seek to explore potential determinants of visitors’ behavior, and the findings can be referenced by the managers of protected areas to formulate visitor management strategies. On the basis of a sample of 402 questionnaires collected in protected areas in South China, namely, Nanling National Forest Park and Dinghu Mountain National Nature Reserve, we explore the association between visitors’ place attachment and their satisfaction and environmentally responsible behavioral intention. The results show that place dependence and place identity are positively correlated with the satisfaction and environmentally responsible behavioral intention of visitors; thus, our results differ from those of previous studies on Western visitors. The lack of significant results regarding place social bonding revealed the shortcomings associated with visitor management in China’s protected areas. Chinese culture has a great influence on various findings in this study. All of the findings provide significant insights for management and policy-making regarding protected areas worldwide to accommodate the rising number of nature-based visitors to China.
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Drábková, A., and L. Šišák. "Forest visitors’ opinion of recreational facilities and trails in forests in the Blaník Protected Landscape Area – a case study." Journal of Forest Science 59, No. 5 (2013): 185–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.17221/77/2012-jfs.
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Currently, recreation is the most common use of protected areas and there are scarce data on the users and their opinion. The research was focused on visitors to the Blaník Protected Landscape Area (hereafter referred to as PLA), a well-known recreational area where data on visitors, important for PLA management, are missing. Therefore, the aim of the paper is find out: what kind of visitors comes to the study area; the type of forest trails and tourist facilities the visitors prefer. A questionnaire survey of forest visitors was used. Results show that the visitors mostly prefer maintained trails. According to forest visitors’ opinion, the most convenient facility to place near the forest tourist trail is the nature trail panels. Furthermore, based on the acquired data, it was possible to create a visitor’s profile which is important for respective research and other case studies in similar areas, and for managers of protected landscape areas to comply with both the visitors’ needs and the needs of the protected area.  
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Buckley, Ralf, Linsheng Zhong, and Xiangyuan Ma. "Visitors to protected areas in China." Biological Conservation 209 (May 2017): 83–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.01.024.
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Švajda, Juraj, Matej Masný, Samuel Koróny, Adalbert Mezei, Ivo Machar, and Karolina Taczanowska. "Visitor profiling using characteristics of socio-demographic and spatial behavior as tools to support the management of protected mountain areas." Geografie 123, no. 4 (2018): 461–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.37040/geografie2018123040461.
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Protected mountain areas are attractive tourist destinations, and the number of visitors to these areas is increasing. The extension of cable car operations into the summer season is a challenge for some protected areas. Our study focuses on visitor profiles and is based on the characteristics of socio-demographic and spatial behavior of cable car users of the Chopok area (Slovakia). The methods used involve recording visitors’ itineraries through the use of GPS loggers and conducting post-trip interviews with the study participants. In order to better understand visitors’ spatial behavior, the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and trip itinerary parameters was analyzed. Additionally, three distinct visitor profiles based on cluster analysis were found in the investigated sample. The results can be used to enrich our knowledge concerning the spatial behavior of tourists in mountain environments, and more directly, for the management of cable car destinations located within protected areas.
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Barros, Carolina, Borja Moya-Gómez, and Juan Carlos García-Palomares. "Identifying Temporal Patterns of Visitors to National Parks through Geotagged Photographs." Sustainability 11, no. 24 (2019): 6983. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11246983.
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Visitor data is essential for decision-making, policy formulation, and monitoring of protected areas. In this context, the data on the temporal distribution of visitors is essential to characterize influx and seasonality, and even to measure the carrying capacity of a site. However, obtaining information from visitors often involves high costs and long production times. Moreover, traditional visitor data has a limited level of detail. New sources of data can provide valuable information regarding the timing of visits. In this study, we tested the use of geotagged data to infer the temporal distribution of visitors to 15 Spanish national parks, and we identified temporal patterns of the visits at three levels: monthly, weekly, and daily. By comparing official monthly visitor counts and geotagged photographs from Flickr, we observed that the number of monthly users who upload photos significantly reflects the number of monthly visitors. Furthermore, the weekly and daily distributions of the Flickr data provided additional information that could contribute to identifying the periods of highest visitor pressure, design measures to manage the concentration of visitors, and improve the overall visitor experience. The results obtained indicate the potential of new data sources for visitor monitoring in protected areas and to open opportunities for future research. Moreover, monitoring tourism in protected areas is crucial to ensure the sustainability of their resources and to protect their biodiversity.
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Dell'Eva, Martina, Consuelo Rubina Nava, and Linda Osti. "Perceptions and satisfaction of human–animal encounters in protected areas." Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes 12, no. 4 (2020): 441–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/whatt-05-2020-0024.
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the role of animals in creating a satisfactory experience at a natural park by investigating the impact on visitors of the exposure to, or absence of, fauna, towards the visitors’ overall experience. Design/methodology/approach The work is based on a quantitative data collection of tourists visiting a nature park. Altogether, 532 valid questionnaires were collected and used for the analysis. A series of factor analyses was conducted on pull and push factors for animal encounters. The resulting factor domains (FDs) were used as independent variables in ordinal logistic regression models to describe customer satisfaction. Findings The results of this study show that important FDs characterize the main visitor characteristics. Although human–animal encounters are an important factor for some visitors, the encounters should be encouraged in the most natural manner possible and not in captivity. This brings us to the concept of “Interpretation”, where guides and guided tours can help with the encounters. Information given prior to and during the visit can ensure visitors are aware that animal encounters are subject to nature and cannot be guaranteed. Originality/value The presence of areas where a number of animals are in captivity and can be viewed by visitors is an important decision for national parks and protected areas, as animals represent a potential attraction for visitors. Nevertheless, this decision creates an ethical dilemma in relation to the exploitation of animals, exacerbated by recent and increasing pressure on sustainable management. This study provides valuable results for guiding park managers in making reasoned decisions.
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Zejda, David, and Josef Zelenka. "The Concept of Comprehensive Tracking Software to Support Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas." Sustainability 11, no. 15 (2019): 4104. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11154104.
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Visitor management in protected areas requires knowledge of visitors—their numbers, time-space curves, motivation, behavior, and satisfaction as an important input. The systematic analysis, comparison, and synthesis of visitor monitoring methods, with the focus on methods for individual tracking, is conceptualized in the form of a mind map. The map serves as a basis for managed dialogues with experts from several protected areas in the Czech Republic. The theory and experts’ practical insight are processed by the means of systems analysis with the aim to formulate (1) a guideline for the integration of heterogeneous data about visitors and (2) the concept of an advanced intelligent software tour guide with an individual tracking function. The proposed concept aims to achieve comprehensive monitoring of visitors’ time-space behavior in the context of their socio-demographics, goals, preferences, feelings, and the resulting impressions. In addition, the visitor flows may be interactively influenced in a personalized way by the application, leading to better individual impressions and satisfaction, with full respect for the carrying capacity of the territory. Related challenges, such as the stimulation of visitors to use the application, are discussed. The ongoing experimental implementation of the concept as a part of a comprehensive destination application is mentioned at the end.
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Zeleke, Ahmed Nuru, and Tuğba Deniz. "The Impact of Visitor Profile on Effective Management of Protected Areas: A Case of Atatürk Arboretum." Sustainability 15, no. 6 (2023): 5208. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15065208.
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Protected areas are important for education and scientific research, in addition to making a significant contribution to the economy in terms of tourism and recreation. One of the most important factors in the effective management of these areas are the visitors. In this article, the effect of visitors on the effective planning and management of arboretums, which is one of the protected areas used for scientific research, education, and observation concerning various species of plants, was investigated. This study focused on the visitors to Atatürk Arboretum, segmented into specific subgroups by applying cluster analysis according to their activities. The data were obtained via conducting face-to-face questionnaires with the visitors (n = 383) in the area. The cluster groups were characterized by the perceived importance of their desired benefit, and socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics. The socio-demographic characteristics of the visitors were determined using descriptive statistics, and the relations among visitor characteristics were determined through linear regression analysis. The visitor segments which differed from each other significantly were identified as recreationalists and photographers and learners. This study has practical and managerial implications for understanding the role of visitors in the management of the arboretum. The study revealed that the arboretum was visited for reasons outside of its establishment purposes. These findings might directly help the arboretum managers in improving more effective visitor and resource management strategies.
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Andrea, Veronika, Stilianos Tampakis, Georgios Tsantopoulos, and Evangelos Manolas. "Environmental problems in protected areas." Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 25, no. 6 (2014): 723–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/meq-01-2014-0006.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach regarding the management measures for solving environmental problems in protected areas. Two neighboring protected areas with different features were chosen in order to investigate the similarity of the environmental problems with regard to these two areas and if it is possible for these problems to be solved through a network of protected areas. Design/methodology/approach – The research was carried out through the use of a questionnaire which was distributed to the inhabitants and visitors of both areas, as well as through interviews with the representatives of organizations responsible for the management and administration of those areas and representatives of the municipalities and the regional authorities these two national parks belong to. Simple random sampling was applied to the inhabitants and cluster sampling to the visitors. Findings – The results show that with regard to the visitors the most important problem is illegal hunting while for the inhabitants equally important is the problem of pollution and cleanliness. However, those responsible with the management of the two National Parks think that the greatest threat to the wider area is the problem of floods. Originality/value – The views of the stakeholders in a given time, provides us with the best possible information for solving the problems faced and can be used as a tool for increasing the effectiveness of the measures which have been taken to deal with the particular problems.
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Kajikawa, Masahiro, Takafumi Miyasaka, Yutaka Kubota, Akihiro Oba, and Katori Miyasaka. "Quantifying nationality bias in social media data on different platforms for visitor monitoring in Nikko National Park, Japan." Geographica Pannonica 27, no. 4 (2023): 228–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/gp27-46222.
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Geotagged social media data have been used widely for visitor monitoring in protected areas. The data might, however, over or underestimate visitors from specific countries due to nationality bias, i.e., differences between nationality of actual visitors versus those visitors who post on social media. This study aimed to quantify nationality bias in social media data for visitor monitoring. We conducted a questionnaire survey in Nikko National Park, Japan. Questions covered the nationality of visitors and their usage of social media, and other visitor attributes and behavior. Foreign visitors had significantly different attributes and behaviors compared to Japanese. Non-Japanese Asian visitors were overrepresented in Instagram and Facebook data. In comparison, the X platform was more representative of all visitors. Nationality bias in different platforms needs more attention and further study in different areas.
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Farías-Torbidoni, Estela, and Demir Barić. "Make Them Move: Understanding Visitors’ Sedentary Behavior in Protected Natural Areas. A Case Study in Spain." Journal of Physical Activity and Health 16, no. 12 (2019): 1129–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2018-0646.
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Background: Protected areas are important attractions for promoting healthy life habits. Consequently, to date, a number of studies have examined the association between visitors’ characteristics and physical activities. However, little is known about the specific users inclined exclusively to have sedentary behavior during a visit. Thus, using the Alt Pirineu Natural Park (Spain) as a case study, the aim of this study is to determine the influence of sociodemographic, trip, motivational, and opinion descriptors on the likelihood of participating in sedentary behavior while visiting a protected natural area. Methods: The data used were randomly collected from visitors through an onsite structured questionnaire (N = 628). Results: Metabolic equivalent consumption was used to empirically distinguish the sedentary (22.6%) from the active (77.4%) visitor groups. A logistic regression analysis indicated that the trip and motivational descriptors explained the highest degree of the overall variation in reporting sedentary behavior. Conclusion: The study contributed to documenting the information about visitors’ behavior in protected areas, and the findings may aid park managers in developing effective management strategies for promoting and enhancing physical activity in protected natural areas.
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Franceschinis, Cristiano, Joffre Swait, Akshay Vij, and Mara Thiene. "Determinants of Recreational Activities Choice in Protected Areas." Sustainability 14, no. 1 (2021): 412. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14010412.
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Conciliating nature conservation and tourism development is an increasingly important task for authorities in charge of managing protected areas and requires an adequate knowledge of visitors′ preferences and recreational behavior. In this light, we used data collected by means of a choice experiment to investigate recreational preferences at Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, a protected area located in Northeastern Italy. More specifically, we analyzed the determinants of visitors’ decisions to engage with different activities in the park. This is important information for park managers, as different recreational activities have both different impact on the natural heritage and different capability to generate revenue for nature conservation and for enhancing the quality of life of local communities. The findings of our study suggest that the choice of recreational activities is mainly driven by the features of recreational sites and by visitors’ personal characteristics. Concerning park features, visitors’ choices seem to be mostly driven by features directly related to each activity, such as thematic trails for hiking and climbing routes for rock climbing. Among visitors′ characteristics, we found that both previous experience with the activity and socio-demographic characteristics had a significant effect on activity choice. Overall, the results of our study can help park authorities in developing management plans aimed specifically at attracting a larger number of visitors of a certain type, which is an important tool to foster the more sustainable forms of tourism.
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Stojanović, Vladimir, Damir Demonja, Sanja Tišma, Maja Mijatov Ladičorbić, and Aleksandra Dragin. "The contribution of environmental interpretation in nature protection." Šumarski list 148, no. 9-10 (2024): 477–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.31298/sl.148.9-10.5.
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The interpretation of natural values and the management of visitors in protected areas are related in multiple ways and are an important link in nature protection activities. This paper examines the basic elements of the interpretation and management of visitors in the selected protected areas of the Republic of Croatia. Protected areas are one of the main attributes of the tourist image of Croatia, with significant economic effects in the generated traffic of visitors. However, this can also contribute to the degradation of natural values or, on the other hand, can help protect nature. Due to such challenges, it is necessary to better understand the importance of visitor centres, tourist tours and the way in which codes of ethics are applied in protected areas. In this paper the representation of environmental interpretation techniques and tools in seven protected areas in Croatia were investigated, using information that was obtained mainly through survey research. The basic results indicate that Croatia has made progress in the previous period in the field of interpretation of natural and cultural values in its protected areas. Such progress is not only related to regions where tourism has a mass character and where visits are significant, but has also been made in remote continental parts of the country. Such an approach in the development of protected areas also indicates that these areas are not only massive tourist destinations, but also places for a more complex understanding of the concept of nature protection and sustainable development associated with the use of its potentials.
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Štekerová, Kamila, Josef Zelenka, and Milan Kořínek. "Agent-Based Modelling in Visitor Management of Protected Areas." Sustainability 14, no. 19 (2022): 12490. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su141912490.
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The research was motivated by the growing importance of visitor management in protected areas, which can be based on knowledge management, system modelling of processes and phenomena, and a deeper knowledge of the experience of visitors in connection with the concept of psychological carrying capacity. The work builds on previous publications and research by the authors, focused on the optimization of tourism impacts, visitor management and the development of the theory and applicability of the concept of carrying capacity. It emphasizes the overview analysis of the possibilities of using agent-based modelling and visualization of visitor flows in protected areas. The analysis of suitable sources was based on the PRISMA method, which showed the main research directions for the use of the agent-based approach in visitor management. For the practical application of modelling, the NetLogo environment was chosen, in which the visitor flows of the model area were simulated. The visitor attendance was evaluated in relation to the psychological carrying capacity. Subsequently, visitor management measures were implemented in the model, and repeated simulations of visitor attendance, based on monitored flows, were run for a specific location around Oheb Castle (the Železné hory/Iron Mountains, Bohemia). The main result is the innovative use of agent-based modelling in visitor management in the context of visitor experience, visitor satisfaction and psychological carrying capacity. The contribution of the presented research is also the proposal of future research directions for more accurate use of psychological carrying capacity in visitor management.
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Gale, Trace, Andrea Ednie, Karen Beeftink, and Andrea Báez Montenegro. "Soundscapes as Conservation Tools: Integrating Visitor Engagement in Biodiversity Strategies." Sustainability 17, no. 3 (2025): 1236. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031236.
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This study investigates visitor soundscape perceptions in Queulat National Park (QNP), Chile, to inform biodiversity conservation strategies amid rising anthropogenic pressures. By analyzing responses at two sites—Lagoon and Overlook—during peak tourist periods, this research examines how visitor experiences align with protected area management goals. A one-minute listening exercise was followed up by a survey to gather data on perceived sounds and their appeal. The results highlight the importance of involving visitors in monitoring acoustic environments, providing managers with insights into visitor-perceived soundscape dynamics. Unique QNP ecosystem characteristics emerged, with visitors identifying anthrophonic sounds as problematic, especially at the Lagoon site. Perceptions aligned with management concerns about noise impacts from congestion, showing visitors can discern when soundscapes diverge from protected area objectives. These findings underscore the need to integrate visitor engagement into acoustic monitoring to enhance biodiversity conservation. This study advocates ongoing sound level monitoring, protective policies, and tools derived from visitor input. It promotes protected areas as educational venues in order to deepen connections with local environments through sound recognition and calls for signage to inform visitors about noise impacts. Future research should continue to explore these strategies and the potential of visitor soundscape perceptions to reshape conservation strategies and support biodiversity preservation.
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Pérez Verdín, Gustavo, Martha E. Lee, and Deborah J. Chavez. "Planning forest recreation in natural protected areas of southern Durango, Mexico." Madera y Bosques 14, no. 1 (2016): 53–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.21829/myb.2008.1411219.
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This research investigated the usefulness of the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) for managing forest recreation in two natural protected areas of southern Durango, Mexico. We used onsite interviews to document the recreation activities visitors participated in, the characteristics of their preferred recreation sites, and socio-demographic information. A cluster analysis identified visitor groups based on the characteristics of preferred recreation sites and the resulting clusters were compared to the recreation activities and socio-demographic data to create a typology of visitors. We used the ROS framework to identify three classes in each natural protected area including (1) zones with easy access and basic facilities (ROS rural class), (2) natural-appearing zones with few facilities (ROS roaded class), and (3) reserve zones (ROS semiprimitive non-motorized or primitive class). Overall, the ROS framework appears to fit appropriately in these two case studies and could be used for recreation planning purposes in other forest areas of the country.
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Bushell, Robyn, and Kelly Bricker. "Tourism in protected areas: Developing meaningful standards." Tourism and Hospitality Research 17, no. 1 (2016): 106–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1467358416636173.
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In response to research revealing only 21% of protected areas worldwide have ‘sound’ management practices, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has introduced The Green List for Protected Areas. A system of certification that has resulted from recognition of the need for global standards for protected area management. While not focused specifically on tourism, visitation and visitor management practices where relevant to the overall management of a park are important components. For many protected areas, tourism is integral, relying on visitors and tourism for financial support. Increasingly, partnerships between conservation and tourism are contributing to changes in attitudes around the issues of biodiversity conservation and environmentally responsible business practices. This paper discusses The Green List concept and a case study of one of the successful pilot sites, Arakwal National Park in Australia. The paper also explores partnerships between conservation and tourism and how these partnerships could unfold through the work of The Green List. The work of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council which encourages such partnerships is also discussed, focused on sustainable tourism criteria.
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FARASHI, AZITA, and MOHAMMAD ALIZADEH-NOUGHANI. "Niche modelling of the potential distribution of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus during summer and winter in Iran, to identify gaps in protected area coverage." Bird Conservation International 29, no. 03 (2018): 423–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270918000278.
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SummaryAn analysis of the extent of overlap between habitats of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus during summer and winter in Iran, and Iranian protected areas, discovered slight overlap between the two. Our study aimed to survey suitable habitats of the Egyptian Vulture during summer and winter in Iran using MaxEnt, a species distribution modelling method, and compare the results with the locations and span of protected areas. Model fitness was assessed using the area under the ROC-plot and True Skill Statistics. We found that habitat suitability in Iran varies for the Egyptian Vulture during summer and winter. Summer visitors are scattered in the north and west of Iran, concentrated along the Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges. Winter visitors and residents are scattered in coastal areas in the south. Habitat protection for winter visitors was the greatest, with 10% of suitable habitat covered, while less than 10% of suitable habitat for residents and summer visitors fell within protected areas. The Egyptian Vulture is categorised as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List. Different environmental factors influence the suitability of habitat for the species. While some factors such as NDVI and anthropogenic disturbance influence all visitors in a similar way, the effects of others such as elevation and distance from protected areas vary for summer and winter visitors. Since designation of protected areas in Iran is mainly determined by the distribution of mammal species, protection of bird habitats is often overlooked. Suitable habitat for the species should be considered when selecting protected areas in future.
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Witt, Brian. "Tourists’ Willingness to Pay Increased Entrance Fees at Mexican Protected Areas: A Multi-Site Contingent Valuation Study." Sustainability 11, no. 11 (2019): 3041. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11113041.
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It can be challenging to set protected area entrance fees without information on how much visitors are willing to pay. It is particularly difficult for agencies managing multiple sites to set fees without conducting surveys at each location. In order to examine how willingness to pay estimates would vary across sites with distinctive profiles, 877 visitors at five Mexican protected sites (Calakmul, Cobá, Palenque, Sian Ka’an, and Yum Balam) were interviewed through double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation surveys. The results suggest that visitors would be willing to pay higher entrance fees, with mean maximum willingness to pay estimates of 2.8–9.8 times current fees, ranging from US$15.70 to US$25.83. Visitor demand was found to be relatively inelastic, with aggregate fee rises of 26% estimated to result in a 5% decrease in visitation. These results suggest that there is room to raise revenues through moderate fee increases without a concomitant drop-off in visitation.
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Navrátil, Josef, Jaroslav Knotek, Kamil Pícha, and Jitka Fialová. "The protected areas: are they still in the ‘pleasure periphery’ or are they destinations for sustainable tourism activities?" European Journal of Tourism Research 11 (October 1, 2015): 57–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v11i.194.
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The protected natural areas play an important role in recreation. This paper discusses the issue of recreational activities in these areas. The National Park and Protected Landscape Areas in the southern part of the Czech Republic were selected for the purposes of illustration. It has been revealed that relaxation is the most important activity among tourists in the large-area protected natural territories, according to a recent survey of 1,500 participants. Entertainment is the second most important activity. Recreational sport activities (such as swimming, tennis, etc.) are respectively in the third and fourth places. We can talk about the large-area protected natural reservations as destinations for “nature-based tourism”, whose prerequisite is the existence of a pristine natural environment, which is primarily bound to protected natural areas in today’s world, and it is not for sustainable tourism. According to the participation in recreation activities, four segments of demand have been identified in visits to these large-area protected natural territories: (1) passive visitors, (2) visitors focused on exploring but not participating in any physical activity, (3) active visitors with a dominant interest in bicycle touring, and (4) active visitors with a dominant interest in history.
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Abang Abdurahman, Abang Zainoren, Wan Fairos Wan Yaacob, Syerina Azlin Md Nasir, Serah Jaya, and Suhaili Mokhtar. "Using Machine Learning to Predict Visitors to Totally Protected Areas in Sarawak, Malaysia." Sustainability 14, no. 5 (2022): 2735. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14052735.
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The machine learning approach has been widely used in many areas of studies, including the tourism sector. It can offer powerful estimation for prediction. With a growing number of tourism activities, there is a need to predict tourists’ classification for monitoring, decision making, and planning formulation. This paper aims to predict visitors to totally protected areas in Sarawak using machine learning techniques. The prediction model developed would be able to identify significant factors affecting local and foreign visitors to these areas. Several machine learning techniques such as k-NN, Naive Bayes, and Decision Tree were used to predict whether local and foreign visitors’ arrival was high, medium, or low to these totally protected areas in Sarawak, Malaysia. The data of local and foreign visitors’ arrival to eighteen totally protected areas covering national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife centers in Sarawak, Malaysia, from 2015 to 2019 were used in this study. Variables such as the age of the park, distance from the nearest city, types of the park, recreation services availability, natural characteristics availability, and types of connectivity were used in the model. Based on the accuracy measure, precision, and recall, results show Decision Tree (Gain Ratio) exhibited the best prediction performance for both local visitors (accuracy = 80.65) and foreign visitors (accuracy = 84.35%). Distance to the nearest city and size of the park were found to be the most important predictors in predicting the local tourist visitors’ park classification, while for foreign visitors, age, type of park, and the natural characteristics availability were the significant predictors in predicting the foreign tourist visitors’ parks classification. This study exemplifies that machine learning has respectable potential for the prediction of visitors’ data. Future research should consider bagging and boosting algorithms to develop a visitors’ prediction model.
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Jones, Thomas Edward, Duo Xu, Takayuki Kubo, and Minh-Hoang Nguyen. "Visitors’ Willingness to Pay for Protected Areas: A New Conservation Donation in Aso Kuju National Park." Conservation 4, no. 2 (2024): 201–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/conservation4020014.
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Protected areas (PAs) such as national parks face funding issues that undermine effective management. Therefore, many PAs are exploring new financial instruments, such as visitor donations, to supplement their conservation budgets. This paper investigates visitor perceptions of one such system, a new conservation donation under consideration in Aso Kuju National Park, southwest Japan, is due to be introduced. Our on-site survey at two trailheads in autumn 2022 gauged visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) the expected JPY 500 donation. The analysis used Bayesian linear regression to look for significant predictors of WTP. Findings show that female, older, and higher-income visitors were more likely to pay the donation collectively rather than voluntarily. Prior knowledge of the donation system was also a significant predictor of WTP, but more frequent climbers were significantly less likely to pay the donation collectively, regardless of prior Kuju climbing experience, possibly due to the perceived increase in use costs. Moreover, visitors willing to pay the cooperation donation collectively are also willing to pay higher prices than those willing to pay voluntarily. The elicited WTP values confirm that the implementation of a new conservation donation could help to improve the long-term sustainable financing of PAs such as Aso Kuju while raising issues over price fairness.
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Soe Zin, Wai, Aya Suzuki, Kelvin S. H. Peh, and Alexandros Gasparatos. "Economic Value of Cultural Ecosystem Services from Recreation in Popa Mountain National Park, Myanmar: A Comparison of Two Rapid Valuation Techniques." Land 8, no. 12 (2019): 194. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land8120194.
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Protected areas offer diverse ecosystem services, including cultural services related to recreation, which contribute manifold to human wellbeing and the economy. However, multiple pressures from other human activities often compromise ecosystem service delivery from protected areas. It is thus fundamental for effective management to understand the recreational values and visitor behaviors in such areas. This paper undertakes a rapid assessment of the economic value of cultural ecosystem services related to recreation in a national park in Myanmar using two valuation techniques, the individual travel cost method (TCM) and the Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA v.1.2). We focus on the Popa Mountain National Park, a protected area visited by approximately 800,000 domestic and 25,000 international tourists annually. Individual TCM estimates that each domestic visitor spent USD 20–24 per trip, and the total annual recreational value contributed by these visitors was estimated at USD 16.1–19.6 million (USD 916–1111 ha−1). TESSA estimated the annual recreational expenditure from domestic and international visitors at USD 15.1 million (USD 858 ha−1) and USD 5.04 million (USD 286 ha−1), respectively. Both methods may be employed as practical approaches to assess the recreational values of protected areas (and other land uses with recreational value), and they have rather complementary approaches. We recommend that both techniques be combined into a single survey protocol.
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Dragoeva, Asya, Ivayla Kuleva, Teodora Koynova, Nikolay Kolev, Zheni Dimitrova, and Vanya Koleva. "Medicinal plants collected by visitors in protected areas in Bulgaria." Acta Scientifica Naturalis 11, no. 2 (2024): 20–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/asn-2024-0010.
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Abstract This survey is a part of a broader ethnobotanical research conducted amongst visitors of protected areas in Bulgaria. The aim of the present study was to find out which herbs are collected by the visitors. Two types of interviews were conducted – among visitors of the Shumen Plateau Nature Park and among users of social network Facebook. Only small proportion from both groups collected medicinal plants from the visited areas. On the other hand, their answers revealed the knowledge about the most used medicinal plants in Bulgaria. Notably, most of them specify, that they comply with legal requirements and that the collected herbs are for personal use only. There are some differences between two groups – a smaller proportion of the online group collected medicinal plants from natural habitats, but demonstrated a greatest knowledge than the visitors of the Shumen Plateau Nature Park. Reported medicinal plants by the respondents are widely distributed in Bulgaria. Two endangered species have been mentioned: Aesculus hippocastanum L. and Sideritis scardica Griseb. Four medicinal plants were cited from both groups: – Hypericum perforatum L., Thymus sp. div., Tilia tomentosa Moench and Rosa canina L. Results revealed also the major disadvantages of the online surveys – skewed respondents, as only people interested in using herbs participate in the survey.
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Кульгачев, Иван, Вячеслав Лепешкин та Лариса Савинкина. "Развитие особо охраняемых территорий в России и специфика статистики экологического туризма". Известия Дальневосточного федерального университета. Экономика и управление, № 1(113) (30 червня 2025): 29–42. https://doi.org/10.24866/2311-2271/2025-1/1722.
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The article presents the genesis of the development of specially protected natural areas in the Russian Federation. The aspects of creating information conditions and motivating visits to state nature reserves and national parks are considered. A key indicator of the implementation of Federal projects is the “Number of visitors to specially protected natural areas”, which indicates the state's desire for more comprehensive use of protected areas. The study revealed a methodological discrepancy between the concepts used (tourist and tourist) in the basic law on tourism and those used in the calculation of ecological tourists (visitors) who visit protected areas.
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Marques, Catarina, Elizabeth Reis, and João Menezes. "Profiling the segments of visitors to Portuguese protected areas." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 18, no. 8 (2010): 971–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2010.497222.
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Martellotta, Andre, and Heros Augusto Santos Lobo. "Can nudges influence the demand for environmental interpretation in protected areas? Study at Cantareira State Park-SP." Revista Turismo em Análise 33, no. 3 (2024): 94–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.1984-4867.v33i3p1-13.
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Environmental interpretation (IA) is an important component of ecotourism and public use in protected natural areas, as it provides information about biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental issues related to these places. However, understanding the factors that influence visitors to be interested in interpretive content is limited. In this context, research was conducted with the objective of identifying a behavioral direction in the search for interpretative content stimulated by nudges, with the help of mobile technology. The application of nudges, which are small interventions that seek to influence people's behavior in a subtle and non-coercive way, has proven increasingly relevant in several areas, including nature tourism. This is because these interventions can be applied in a non-intrusive way and can contribute to improving the visitor experience. The assumption was that, by reading the QR code installed at the entrance to a trail, visitors would be more interested in learning more about AI. Furthermore, it was tested whether social norm nudges would be more effective than direct questions in stimulating visitors' interest. The survey results showed that nudges were effective in sparking visitors' interest in AI. Furthermore, social norm nudges were more effective than direct questions. These results indicate that the use of nudges and gamification can be promising ways to increase visitors' interest in environmental themes in nature tourism itineraries.
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McGinlay, James, Vassilis Gkoumas, Jens Holtvoeth, et al. "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Management of European Protected Areas and Policy Implications." Forests 11, no. 11 (2020): 1214. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11111214.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to many European countries imposing lockdown measures and limiting people’s movement during spring 2020. During the summer 2020, these strict lockdown measures were gradually lifted while in autumn 2020, local restrictions started to be re-introduced as a second wave emerged. After initial restrictions on visitors accessing many Nature Protected Areas (PAs) in Europe, management authorities have had to introduce measures so that all users can safely visit these protected landscapes. In this paper, we examine the challenges that emerged due to COVID-19 for PAs and their deeper causes. By considering the impact on and response of 14 popular European National and Nature Parks, we propose tentative longer-term solutions going beyond the current short-term measures that have been implemented. The most important challenges identified in our study were overcrowding, a new profile of visitors, problematic behavior, and conflicts between different user groups. A number of new measures have been introduced to tackle these challenges including information campaigns, traffic management, and establishing one-way systems on trail paths. However, measures to safeguard public health are often in conflict with other PA management measures aiming to minimize disturbance of wildlife and ecosystems. We highlight three areas in which management of PAs can learn from the experience of this pandemic: managing visitor numbers in order to avoid overcrowding through careful spatial planning, introducing educational campaigns, particularly targeting a new profile of visitors, and promoting sustainable tourism models, which do not rely on large visitor numbers.
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Sobhani, Parvaneh, Hassan Esmaeilzadeh, Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi, Marina Viorela Marcu, and Isabelle D. Wolf. "Evaluating Ecotourism Sustainability Indicators for Protected Areas in Tehran, Iran." Forests 13, no. 5 (2022): 740. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f13050740.
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Ecotourism in protected areas facilitates responsible travel to natural places that conserve the environment, deliver economic benefits to local communities, and offer interpretation and education to visitors. Proper planning and sufficient monitoring of ecotourism sustainability indicators is needed to manage visitor activities in protected areas. Therefore, identifying the major impacts and mitigating them in the early stages of ecotourism development could contribute significantly to the achievement of sustainable development. There is a current gap between the situation in the field and academic contributions to this problem in protected areas of Iran. In the present study, we evaluated ecotourism sustainability levels in four different types of protected areas in Iran, including Lar National Park, Jajrud Protected Area with Sustainable Use of Natural Resource Areas, Tangeh Vashi National Natural Monument, and Kavdeh Wildlife Refuge. We developed a comprehensive list of ecotourism sustainability indicators, including 38 indicators in the environmental–physical dimension, 42 indicators in the demographic–social dimension, and 30 indicators in the economic–institutional dimension. Harnessing local community expertise, we adopted a Delphi approach to determine sustainability levels and factors impacting sustainability. Ecotourism in Lar National Park was most sustainable because of the high levels of restrictions protecting the area and the difficulty in access. Conversely, ecotourism sustainability was lowest at Tangeh Vashi National Natural Monument, which allowed for an uncontrolled influx of visitors. We discuss further factors that impact sustainability, such as population growth, expanding urbanization, an increase in physical and economic activities, and extended annual periods of ecotourism activities. Although the presented ecotourism sustainability indicators are specific to Iran, this study can also be seen to provide a template to plan for sustainable ecotourism in other countries. Altogether, our results suggest conducting a type-by-type analysis of the particular circumstances of various protected areas.
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Farías-Torbidoni, Estela Inés, Sebastià Mas-Alòs, Gonzalo Gil-Moreno-de-Mora, et al. "Health and Well-Being in Protected Natural Areas—Visitors’ Satisfaction in Three Different Protected Natural Area Categories in Catalonia, Spain." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 18 (2020): 6746. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186746.
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Protected natural areas (PNAs) can be a source of health and well-being, but little research has been carried out regarding outcomes in terms of satisfaction (the difference between motivations and benefits). Inspired by previous research that examines the motivations and benefits perceived by visitors to various PNAs in Canada, and based on importance–performance analysis (IPA) and service quality gap (GAP) analysis theory, the aim of this study was to identify the outcomes generated by protected areas in terms of satisfaction, especially with regard to the PNAs’ individual protection categories. The study was based on survey data from visitors (n = 360) to three PNAs in Catalonia: one national park, one natural park and one periurban park. The results indicate that anticipated environmental, psychological, physical and social benefits were of major personal value in choosing to visit a PNA. The results indicate that, generally, visitors were satisfied with regard to the benefits anticipated. Differences between parks in this respect could be explained in part by sociodemographic factors and visitors’ behavior. The results are discussed in terms of their applicability and how they relate to the role of PNAs in the promotion of visitors’ health and well-being.
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Meleddu, Marta, Manuela Pulina, Marco Vannini, and Marilena Vecco. "Assessing pro-environmental behaviors and implications for integrated conservation in protected areas: A study of visitors and entrepreneurs in the Asinara National Park, Italy." Environmental Economics 14, no. 2 (2023): 28–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ee.14(2).2023.03.
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Understanding pro-environmental behaviors in protected areas is vital for effective resource management, visitor management, infrastructure development, and conservation strategies. Therefore, this study aims to assess environmentally friendly practices and behaviors (eco-practices) of visitors (demand side) and entrepreneurs and tour operators (supply side) to explore the implications for the long-term sustainability of the protected area. The study utilizes the shared value framework and the value-belief-norm theory extended to environmentalism to investigate the relevant values for pro-environmental behaviors. The paper focuses on the Asinara National Park in Italy. It employs a partial least squares-structural equation model to analyze the pro-environmental behavior and willingness to commit to conservation goals. The findings reveal that visitors demonstrate a willingness to commit to eco-practices in a protected area based upon non-extractive cultural ecosystem services (path coefficient = 0.196*) and accept earmarked taxation (path coefficient = 0.254***), which indicates their loyalty and satisfaction with their visit. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are motivated by internally adopted ecological practices (path coefficient = 0.509***) and altruistic reasons (path coefficient = 0.377**). In conclusion, the study emphasizes aligning service and facility supply with demand and the mission of protected areas to achieve balanced and sustainable resource management. By understanding and promoting pro-environmental behaviors, long-term resilience can be ensured for protected areas, benefiting both the environment and the visitors. AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the participants of the XI Workshop on Institutions, Individual Behavior and Economic Outcomes, Session Environmental and Ecological Economics, Corte (France) and at the Research Meeting Seminar, Burgundy School of Business, Dijon (France) for their helpful comments. We also thank Fondazione di Sardegna (Economia e Benessere tra Società e Istituzioni), grant 2022–2023, Programme 2014–2020 INTERREG V-A Italy – France Maritime (grant EcoSTRIM), and Fondo di Ateneo UNISS 2020 for financial support.
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Arkema, Katie K., David M. Fisher, Katherine Wyatt, Spencer A. Wood, and Hanna J. Payne. "Advancing Sustainable Development and Protected Area Management with Social Media-Based Tourism Data." Sustainability 13, no. 5 (2021): 2427. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13052427.
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Sustainable tourism involves increasingly attracting visitors while preserving the natural capital of a destination for future generations. To foster tourism while protecting sensitive environments, coastal managers, tourism operators, and other decision-makers benefit from information about where tourists go and which aspects of the natural and built environment draw them to particular locations. Yet this information is often lacking at management-relevant scales and in remote places. We tested and applied methods using social media as data on tourism in The Bahamas. We found that visitation, as measured by numbers of geolocated photographs, is well correlated with counts of visitors from entrance surveys for islands and parks. Using this relationship, we predicted nearly 4 K visitor-days to the network of Bahamian marine protected areas annually, with visitation varying more than 20-fold between the most and least visited parks. Next, to understand spatial patterns of tourism for sustainable development, we combined social media-based data with entrance surveys for Andros, the largest island in The Bahamas. We estimated that tourists spend 125 K visitor-nights and more than US$45 M in the most highly visited district, five times that of the least visited district. We also found that tourists prefer accessible, natural landscapes—such as reefs near lodges—that can be reached by air, roads, and ferries. The results of our study are being used to inform development and conservation decisions, such as where to invest in infrastructure for visitor access and accommodation, siting new marine protected areas, and management of established protected areas. Our work provides an important example of how to leverage social media as a source of data to inform strategies that encourage tourism, while conserving the environments that draw visitors to a destination in the first place.
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Fakotakis, George, George Baourakis, Periklis Drakos, and Constantin Zopounidis. "Impact Assessment of a National Park Under the Auspices of Unesco." International Journal of Sustainable Economies Management 5, no. 3 (2016): 68–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijsem.2016070105.
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Crete features many protected areas of exceptional natural beauty that attract thousands of visitors every season. Many local enterprises count on that touristic activity to increase their revenues. One of the most important and well known protected areas of Crete is the Samaria National Park. It was established in 1962 and since then it has earned various international distinctions. The aim of this study is to quantify the economic effects of the visitations at the Samaria National Park, on the whole region of Chania and to identify the profile of the visitor.
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Taczanowska, Karolina, Luis-Millán González, Xavier García-Massó, et al. "Nature-based Tourism or Mass Tourism in Nature? Segmentation of Mountain Protected Area Visitors Using Self-Organizing Maps (SOM)." Sustainability 11, no. 5 (2019): 1314. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11051314.
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Mountain protected areas play a fundamental role in the conservation of natural environment and at the same time provide the population with social benefits such as offering space for leisure and recreation. Understanding motivations and behavior of protected area visitors is crucial to effectively manage vulnerable areas. Our objective was to identify the profiles of visitors to a heavily used tourist destination—Kasprowy Wierch within the Tatra National Park (Poland), using the self-organizing maps (SOM) analytical method. In order to explore the socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of the visitors a total sample of 2488 respondents were interviewed on site. Self-organizing map analysis is based on cerebral processes for managing and storing information in order to classify subjects and/or find relationships among variables. As a result, four heterogeneous tourist profiles were identified. Interestingly, two of these groups (Cluster 1 and Cluster 3), which were found to be the most challenging groups for management purposes, visited the national park for reasons other than its natural attractions. Especially, one sub-segment of Cluster 3 was mainly motivated by the possibility to use a cable car, admiring views and stayed within close proximity of the upper cable car station. Less than a half of visitors to Kasprowy Wierch (42%) were seeking a nature experience during their trip (Cluster 2 and Cluster 4). The results bring a new point of view in the discussion on visitor management within Kasprowy Wierch region, in particular by overlapping presented visitor segmentation with trip types and/or purchased cable car tickets. Within international context, we highlight the SOM technique as a valuable tool in profiling of tourists and underline the problem of the existence of mass tourism destinations within protected areas.
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Sánchez Martín, José, Juan Rengifo Gallego, and Luz Martín Delgado. "Tourist Mobility at the Destination Toward Protected Areas: The Case-Study of Extremadura." Sustainability 10, no. 12 (2018): 4853. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10124853.
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The use of natural protected areas has been analyzed abundantly in the relevant literature, although on many occasions these areas are studied from the viewpoint of their role as a tourist destination in themselves, while neglecting their role as a tourist attraction that can be visited from the main destination of their stay. In certain specific areas, as in the case of Extremadura, protected areas are often a complementary destination for visitors who are staying in popular tourist hubs. This study is based on data from 4 different spaces (with different degrees in their status as protected areas) about the flow of tourists they generate at the destination. In light of the data, this paper identifies the 41 towns and villages with the most tourists, later to determine their mobility towards natural protected areas. Information was collected from almost 14,000 surveys that were filled at 52 tourist offices. This information allowed us to map the flow of tourists from their places of stay to the protected areas analyzed here, which resulted in the mapping of relevant networks by means of a Geographic Information System following the criterion of shortest path available. The results here clearly demonstrate that each area has a varying capacity to attract visitors, although in a large proportion of cases, the 60-min isochrone is a boundary beyond which the number of visitors drops significantly.
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Ferguson, Lauren A., B. Derrick Taff, Justine I. Blanford, et al. "Understanding park visitors’ soundscape perception using subjective and objective measurement." PeerJ 12 (January 31, 2024): e16592. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16592.
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Environmental noise knows no boundaries, affecting even protected areas. Noise pollution, originating from both external and internal sources, imposes costs on these areas. It is associated with adverse health effects, while natural sounds contribute to cognitive and emotional improvements as ecosystem services. When it comes to parks, individual visitors hold unique perceptions of soundscapes, which can be shaped by various factors such as their motivations for visiting, personal norms, attitudes towards specific sounds, and expectations. In this study, we utilized linear models and geospatial data to evaluate how visitors’ personal norms and attitudes, the park’s acoustic environment, visitor counts, and the acoustic environment of visitors’ neighborhoods influenced their perception of soundscapes at Muir Woods National Monument. Our findings indicate that visitors’ subjective experiences had a greater impact on their perception of the park’s soundscape compared to purely acoustic factors like sound level of the park itself. Specifically, we found that motivations to hear natural sounds, interference caused by noise, sensitivity to noise, and the sound levels of visitors’ home neighborhoods influenced visitors’ perception of the park’s soundscape. Understanding how personal factors shape visitors’ soundscape perception can assist urban and non-urban park planners in effectively managing visitor experiences and expectations.
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Calicis, Eva, Jorge Costa, Augusto Pérez-Alberti, and Alberto Gomes. "Exploring Visitor Patterns in Island Natural Parks: The Relationship Between Photo Locations, Trails, and Land Use." Land 13, no. 12 (2024): 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land13122003.
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Overcrowding in national parks and protected areas can cause irreversible damage to the environment, compromising the quality of soil, water, wildlife, and vegetation. Thus, it is critical for park managers to have detailed information on visitor activities and spatial dynamics in order to prioritise actions capable of mitigating undesirable impacts in the most frequently visited areas. In this article, we use georeferenced trails and photographs from the Wikiloc and Flickr web platforms to determine the spatial visitation patterns in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park (AINP) from 2008 to 2023. Maps showing trail usage intensity and the distribution of photographs according to land use allowed us to identify the most frequented land uses by visitors and the areas of highest tourist pressure within the AINP. The results show that distribution patterns vary between platforms. Shrubland (37%) and marine cliffs (27%) were the most photographed land uses by visitors, while artificial areas (14%) were the most frequented by Wikiloc users. Cíes island emerges as the most popular tourist destination, as evidenced by the greater number of trails and photographs compared to Ons, Sálvora, and Cortegada. This study shows how social media data, specifically trails and geotagged photographs from Wikiloc and Flickr, can support and complement the monitoring of visitor use and impact in protected areas.
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Lara-Pulido, José Alberto, Ángela Mojica, Aaron Bruner, et al. "A Business Case for Marine Protected Areas: Economic Valuation of the Reef Attributes of Cozumel Island." Sustainability 13, no. 8 (2021): 4307. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13084307.
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Tourism to Cozumel Island generates USD 762 million annually in local economic activity, and 111 visitors stay in local hotels for each inhabitant. The island’s coast is its principal attraction, yet water quality and reef health are threatened. This paper studies the link between the local economy and management of Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, using a choice experiment to assess the economic value visitors assign to underwater visibility, biodiversity, and visitor congestion in reef areas. We found that, on average, tourists are willing to pay USD 190 per visit to avoid a projected decrease in biodiversity, USD 120 per visit to prevent a projected decline in visibility, and USD 98 to avoid high congestion during reef visits. We find high heterogeneity in willingness to pay estimates, which may be useful for targeting both conservation and marketing efforts. On the other hand, increasing the reef access fee from USD 2 to USD 6 could fully fund effective protected area management, with no substantial effect on visitors’ consumer surplus. Results suggest that a conservation surcharge could be added to all tours, with little impact on visitation, and that significantly increasing private sector collaboration and government spending on conservation would be good economic choices.
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Monz, Christopher, and Abigail M. Kidd. "Understanding and managing wildlife jams in national parks: An evaluation in Grand Teton National Park." UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports 39 (December 15, 2016): 73–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.13001/uwnpsrc.2016.5291.
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As recreation and tourism in parks and protected areas continues to increase, managers face rising concerns of degradation of natural resources and the visitor experience. Many park visitors are seeking opportunities to view or photograph wildlife. Visitor behavior in prime wildlife-viewing areas often involves visitors parking along roadways and exiting their cars to view wildlife. This creates a phenomenon known as a “wildlife jam”, as visitors park informally along a roadway, often becoming pedestrians as they view wildlife, while other motorists attempt to drive through. To date, no studies have comprehensively investigated this phenomenon. Our study characterizes the nature of wildlife jams on the Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was used to collect high-accuracy data on location and duration of the jams. Observations during jams characterize size (how many visitors and cars were involved) and visitor behaviors during jams. Preliminary results suggest that jam characteristics including presence of park staff, species involved, and location, can affect the duration, extent, and visitor behaviors that occur. Understanding the nature of these jams will enable park managers to minimize the potential negative effects of jams on wildlife and the visitor experience.
 
 Featured photo by letdown102 on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/57jUok
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Svobodova, Kamila, Luis Monteiro, Jiri Vojar, and Katerina Gdulova. "Can trail characteristics influence visitor numbers in natural protected areas? A quantitative approach to trail choice assessment." Environmental & Socio-economic Studies 7, no. 2 (2019): 10–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/environ-2019-0008.
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Abstract Planning for recreational activities in protected areas involves an understanding of multiple and complex factors. Trails constitute the main recreation facility in protected areas. They are an important and common infrastructure that concentrates visitor movement. Their sustainable planning and management requires an understanding of how the visitors made their selection. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of trail attributes on visitor numbers in the Krkonoše Mountains National Park in the Czech Republic. The methods used in this study present an analytical approach involving geographic information system analysis, field monitoring and data analyses using generalised linear models. The results showed the preferential tendencies among visitors to certain trail attributes. Marginal significance and a rather strong variability in preferences (over 10%) were identified for five trail characteristics: the amount of local attractions; diversity of land cover types; dominant land cover along a trail; soil erosion; and the type of trail surface. In our study, we illustrate an analytical framework for the assessment of trail characteristics that can help guide trail analyses and management efforts. On the other hand, our findings raise new research questions and point to the requirements for further research in order to better understand how environmental attributes influence visitor choice and to use this knowledge for trail planning and management.
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Dorofeev, A. A., and M. I. Parshikova. "On the number of ecotourists in Russia." Services in Russia and Abroad 17, no. 7 (2023): 77–90. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10561124.
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<em>The implementation of the federal project "Conservation of Biological Diversity and Development of Ecological Tourism" (2018–2024) has given a new impetus to the development of nature-oriented travel in Russia. The number of specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) of federal significance, especially the number of national parks, is constantly growing. The flow of visitors to nature reserves and national parks is increasing. Political and military events had an indirect positive impact on this trend, which partially reoriented outbound tourist flows to the domestic market. The Covid-19 pandemic (2020–2021) contributed to the development of ecotourism, during which many tourists sought to avoid destinations with mass crowds of people and rushed to sparsely populated natural sites remote from large cities. At the same time, the opportunities for studying the state of ecological tourism in Russia have improved – Rosstat and the Ministry of Natural Resources have begun to regularly provide quantitative information on the parameters of the network of protected areas, on the infrastructure available in protected areas, on visitors to nature reserves and national parks. Based on official statistical information, the article analyzes the development of a network of protected natural areas in Russia. The dynamics and magnitude of tourist flows in protected areas of the federal level are considered. At the same time, people who walked along the trails and routes inside the protected areas were considered ecotourists, and the protected areas themselves were considered ecotourism destinations. Along with the positive achievements, dubious aspects and obvious omissions have been identified, raising questions and compromising successes of the project "... Development of Ecological Tourism".</em>
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Pachrová, Stanislava, Petr Chalupa, Eva Janoušková, Alice Šedivá Neckářová, and Leoš Štefka. "Monitoring of Visitors as a Tool of Protected Areas Management." Academica Turistica 13, no. 1 (2020): 67–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.26493/2335-4194.13.67-79.
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Sumanapala, Daminda, and Isabelle D. Wolf. "Introducing Geotourism to Diversify the Visitor Experience in Protected Areas and Reduce Impacts on Overused Attractions." Land 11, no. 12 (2022): 2118. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11122118.
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Sri Lankan National Parks are highly popular among international and local visitors, as they offer close-up encounters with large animal species. Yala National Park is one of the top five parks in the country attracting larger crowds than any other parks especially during the holiday season. Most visitors flock to the park to observe the highly sought-after Asian Elephant and Asian Leopard. This has led to safari operators pursuing these animals aggressively to satisfy visitor expectations, thereby threatening wildlife populations. In this article, we present a straightforward methodology to identify high-potential geotourism sites in order to diversify visitor experiences as a means to alleviate pressure from wildlife tourism. To identify sites, firstly this study has evaluated various place characteristics important for the development of geotourism, including scientific, tourism and ‘additional’ value indicators. As a result, three sites out of four were selected to promote geotourism in Yala National Park. Secondly, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was performed, which builds on the results from the numerical evaluation but provides a more in-depth narrative assessment. Ultimately, this study serves as an example of how to seize the opportunities that geotourism offers for diversifying tourism offers in protected areas.
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Jurišić, Mladen, Ivan Plaščak, Željko Rendulić, and Dorijan Radočaj. "GIS-Based Visitor Count Prediction and Environmental Susceptibility Zoning in Protected Areas: A Case Study in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia." Sustainability 15, no. 2 (2023): 1625. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15021625.
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The most valuable protected natural areas, including national parks, are subjected to the increased visitors count and density, threatening the environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation. To establish a basis for land management to mitigate these influences, the novel geographic information (GIS)-based environmental susceptibility zoning method was proposed. The study area covered the Plitvice Lakes National Park, as the oldest and largest national park in Croatia, using the historical 20-year visitor data with 19 tourist and hiking routes. Two geospatial analysis methods were evaluated as follows: (1) short-term prediction of visitors count data based on a 10-year historical intervals, and (2) the environmental susceptibility zones delineation method integrated two fundamental factors in the assessment of environmental impacts from route density and historical visitors count on a monthly basis. Four accuracy assessment metrics indicated a moderate accuracy of short-term visitors count prediction, with the coefficient of determination ranging from 0.700 to 0.951. The routes which continue from both entrances indicated the largest visitors load is in the central part of the park, mostly located in the moderately restricted zone. These observations indicated moderate present environmental susceptibility with stable outlook, providing an insight for the nature park management adjustment.
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CERDA, CLAUDIA, JUAN PABLO FUENTES, CARMEN LUZ DE LA MAZA, CARLA LOUIT, and ANA ARAOS. "Assessing visitors’ preferences for ecosystem features in a desert biodiversity hotspot." Environmental Conservation 45, no. 1 (2017): 75–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892917000200.
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SUMMARYWe estimated visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a variety of environmental attributes in a protected area of the Atacama Desert, a biodiversity hotspot in northern Chile. By using a choice experiment, WTP was estimated for the protection of the following attributes: animals (mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds), pollinating insects, plants (cacti and woody shrubs), soil quality and pristine landscapes. Visitors placed economic value on all of the attributes. The marginal mean WTP/visitor for the single levels of variation in the attributes ranged from US$4 (for supporting research on foxes) to US$26 (for maintaining soil quality) per visitor per month. These results can contribute to deciding which attributes are likely to be successful at raising funds for conservation. Our approach may be relevant to protected areas of the world with high conservation values, little funding and a lack of large, charismatic species.
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Novianti, Evi, and Rahmatika Desiana. "Persuasive communication and tourists behavior in protected areas." Jurnal Kajian Komunikasi 11, no. 1 (2023): 59. http://dx.doi.org/10.24198/jkk.v11i1.43490.
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Background: Persuasive communication has the opportunity to create and change tourist behavior to better preserve the natural environment, especially in tourism that applies sustainable concepts. Purpose: This study aims to determine the effect of persuasive communication on tourist behavior in Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park. Methods: The method used in this research is descriptive and verification research methods, with the research approach, used being quantitative and explanatory survey methods. Primary data was obtained through observation of the Ir. H. Djuanda Forest Park and questionnaires to visiting tourists while obtaining secondary data through previous research documents, literature, and government policies. This study uses data analysis techniques with the Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach based on Partial Least Square (PLS) by testing the hypothesis using path analysis. Results: The study shows that the better the Communicator conveys something, the more influence will be given to tourists. In addition, the better the channel the Communicator provides, the more tourist visitors will increase. Conclusion: The Communicator has a significant favorable influence on tourist behavior, which means that what is conveyed to visitors can be understood, and anything that involves deliberate efforts to change other people’s minds is called persuasive communication. The better the Communicator conveys something, the more influence will be given to tourists. Implications: This study has implications for managers of tourism destinations located in protected areas, especially for local governments, in setting policies for developing tourism destinations.
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Sergiacomi, Carlotta, Dijana Vuletić, Alessandro Paletto, Elena Barbierato, and Claudio Fagarazzi. "Exploring National Park Visitors’ Judgements from Social Media: The Case Study of Plitvice Lakes National Park." Forests 13, no. 5 (2022): 717. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f13050717.
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This study aims to conduct a survey of visitor reviews of the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia to detect strengths and weaknesses of the park. In total, 15,673 reviews written in the period between 2007 and 2021 were scraped from the social media platform TripAdvisor. The research applies a comprehensive combination of multidimensional scaling, sentiment analysis, and natural language processing approaches to a sample area of international naturalistic interest. Analyzing the opinions of visitors, the authors identify: the main topics of interest related to the management of the park; and the strengths and weaknesses on the basis of definitely positive and decidedly negative reviews, respectively. The tested methodology is easily applicable for the analysis of different naturalistic contexts and protected areas, even in different countries, thanks to the use of translated reviews. The results obtained show that visitors to protected natural areas are not only interested in naturalistic and landscape aspects but also in issues such as accessibility and management of routes and visits.
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Apaza Panca, Cynthia Milagros, Cynthia Harumy Watanabe Correa, Joyce Mamani Cornejo, et al. "Tourism in a protected natural area (PNA)." Journal of Human Sport and Exercise 19, no. 2 (2024): 579–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.55860/k7x6ck53.
Full textAbstract:
Tourism activity in natural protected areas is increasing worldwide. These areas belong to the country's heritage and their natural conditions should be preserved, taking advantage of the resources and the sustainable use of the area. The general objective of the study was to analyse the perception of travel agencies and visitors to a natural protected area and the specific objectives were to determine the image of the natural protected area from the perspective of visitors and to learn about the travel agencies' perception of the natural protected area as a tourist destination for sport hunting and hiking. The study is a mixed approach, basic, non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional design. A probabilistic sampling by convenience and intentional was estimated, considering 100 visitors and 5 formal travel agencies in the city of Mancora with interest in providing tourist services to the protected natural area. The study found that 12% of the visitors agree that the area has an image of an ecological and restful place, a place for tourism activities such as trekking, sport hunting, hiking, bird watching, biking, and photography. On the other hand, travel agency representatives have little knowledge of the destination; however, they show interest in considering the destination as part of their tourism packages, given that there is evidence of potential demand because the destination is innovative and offers sports tourism practices.
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Smith, Anne E., Philip M. Wheeler, and Magnus L. Johnson. "Artificial reefs and marine protected areas: a study in willingness to pay to access Folkestone Marine Reserve, Barbados, West Indies." PeerJ 4 (July 20, 2016): e2175. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2175.
Full textAbstract:
Artificial reefs in marine protected areas provide additional habitat for biodiversity viewing, and therefore may offer an innovative management solution for managing for coral reef recovery and resilience. Marine park user fees can generate revenue to help manage and maintain natural and artificial reefs. Using a stated preference survey, this study investigates the present consumer surplus associated with visitor use of a marine protected area in Barbados. Two hypothetical markets were presented to differentiate between respondents use values of either: (a) natural reefs within the marine reserve or (b) artificial reef habitat for recreational enhancement. Information was also collected on visitors’ perceptions of artificial reefs, reef material preferences and reef conservation awareness. From a sample of 250 visitors on snorkel trips, we estimate a mean willingness to pay of US$18.33 (median—US$15) for natural reef use and a mean value of US$17.58 (median—US$12.50) for artificial reef use. The number of marine species viewed, age of respondent, familiarity with the Folkestone Marine Reserve and level of environmental concern were statistically significant in influencing willingness to pay. Regression analyses indicate visitors are willing to pay a significant amount to view marine life, especially turtles. Our results suggest that user fees could provide a considerable source of income to aid reef conservation in Barbados. In addition, the substantial use value reported for artificial reefs indicates a reef substitution policy may be supported by visitors to the Folkestone Marine Reserve. We discuss our findings and highlight directions for future research that include the need to collect data to establish visitors’ non-use values to fund reef management.
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Freeman, Stephanie, Brendan Derrick Taff, Ben Lawhon, et al. "The Impact of Message Framing on Wildlife Approach During Ungulate Viewing Experiences in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem." Journal of Interpretation Research 28, no. 1 (2023): 7–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10925872231157596.
Full textAbstract:
Every year, millions of people visit parks and protected areas to view wildlife. Conflict between people and ungulates is prominent, and many incidents occur when people approach ungulates at proximities less than the National Park Service regulation of 25 yards. The purpose of this study was to test how wildlife viewing communication messages impact park visitors’ approach behavior. A survey and walking exercise were conducted with life-sized ungulate cutouts on a 100-yard transect in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to test the influence of three message frames (i.e., current NPS messaging, resource protection messaging, and a visitor experience message) on visitors’ approach behaviors. Park visitors overestimated proximity when given current park messaging. Additionally, the resource protection- and the visitor experience-framed messages led to more conservative wildlife approach compared to current park messaging. These results have practical applications for influencing visitors’ behaviors and reducing human-wildlife conflict through education and interpretation.