Tourism Management Issues in India’s National Parks: An Analysis of the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park

This paper analyses contemporary tourism management issues in India’s national parks. It begins by setting India’s national parks in the context of national parks globally, before examining the historical development of national parks in India itself. Based upon the author’s extensive qualitative research, the paper then discusses in general terms the tourism conflicts that have recently emerged in India’s national parks. It goes on to examine in detail the tourism management issues as they apply to a specific case study, namely the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park located in the state of Karnataka. It is concluded that the voices of indigenous communities needs to be recognised in the management of the park and in terms of tourism development efforts.     

Giving voice to heritage tourists: indicators of quality for a sustainable heritage experience at Petra,Jordan

ABSTRACT

The tourist experience should be placed at the heart of management and planning process to achieve the goal of sustainable heritage tourism. The concept of indicators and standards of quality, which emerged in the field of natural resources and outdoor recreation management as a conceptual framework for understanding visitors’ experiences, has been widely applied in nature-based parks rather than cultural heritage sites. This study applies the concept of indicators to heritage experience at Petra Archaeological Park in Jordan. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 tourists to understand the tourist experience at the park, and to formulate indicators of the tourism experience. Results suggest that cultural and natural scenic value, crowding, attractions accessibility, vendor persistence, and odor of animals waste are potential indicators for the tourism experience at the park. Related management implications and recommendations are also discussed.     

Universal tenets or diametrical differences? An analysis of ecotourism definitions from China and abroad

In recent years, there has been increasing attention afforded ecotourism development in China. However, a national ecotourism framework has yet to emerge. This has forced planners, managers, policy‐makers and researchers to look abroad for guidance. And, this raises sensitivity concerns related to Chinese cultural values, perspectives, and expectations regarding nature‐based tourism experiences. This study analyzes contemporary Chinese ecotourism definitions with the objective to identify a set of common definitional themes. These themes are them compared to a set of ecotourism tenets established through antecedent analysis of definitions from abroad. A discussion of universal tenets, cultural values, diametrical differences, and the achievement of sustainable ecotourism ensues. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The ecological implications of visitor transportation in parks and protected areas: Examples from research in US National Parks

The demand for recreation and nature-based tourism experiences in parks and protected areas continues to grow in many locations worldwide and in response, many parks are employing transit services designed to improve visitor access. Transit services (e.g., public bus service) are a component of the overall park transportation system and are very desirable in park settings as they yield many advantages over personal auto access including reduced congestion in parking areas, a reduced carbon footprint, and an enhanced visitor experience. However, a growing body of research also suggests that the delivery of visitors via transit to destinations within a park or protected area may have unique ecological disturbance implications resulting from increased visitor use, density, and altered spatial and temporal use patterns. In this paper, we examine the relevant literature and present examples from recent research that illustrates the potential range of ecologic impacts from visitor deliveries via park transportation systems. We conclude while transit systems remain very desirable in park settings, depending on a range of situational factors, conventional, demand-driven planning and management approaches may result in unintended impacts to ecological conditions. Overall, this discussion provides a framework for improved management of the potential ecological impacts of protected area transportation systems.     

A systems-based approach to address unintended consequences of demand-driven transportation planning in national parks and public lands

In most cases, transportation planning in national parks and public lands might most appropriately be termed “demand-driven.” In this approach, rigorous analyses of park visitation, traffic, and parking data are used as a basis for transportation planning to accommodate current and projected future visitor demand, within financial constraints. Performance measures used to assess the quality of transportation systems in national parks are generally related to “moving people” efficiently. This approach is based on well-established principles for transportation planning in urban and rural communities. However, a demand-driven approach to transportation planning may not be suitable in national parks and public lands because it may enable levels of visitation that cause visitor crowding, resource impacts, and other unintended consequences. This paper introduces a more sustainable, systems-based transportation planning approach developed in the Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) to help the park operate its shuttle bus system efficiently and conveniently, and according to thresholds for visitor crowding and resource impacts at sites serviced by the shuttle system. The transportation planning approach developed in this study for ROMO is more suitable and sustainable for national parks and public lands than a demand-driven approach, and is readily adaptable to other locations. Correspondingly, the approach is now being applied in several other national parks and public lands recreation areas.     

Ecological tourism in the state image policy structure. Experience and problems of modern Russia

The article deals with the problems of ecological tourism in Russia. The authors give various approaches to the understanding of ecological tourism in modern science, analyse the reasons of interest in this kind of tourism, consider its types and identify specific features. The article provides an overview of the main regions and countries where ecological tourism is developed at a high level and considers some national policy models in the field of ecological tourism. Specific attention is paid to the analysis of the development of ecological tourism in Russia and its current status; the examples of different programmes aiming at support of ecological tourism are given. Specific impetus is given to Russia's resources for the development of ecological tourism, for example, natural landscapes, national parks and nature heritage sites. The authors explore the main challenges to ecological tourism in Russia, identify factors that hinder its development and suggest measures to improve the ecological tourism in the Russian Federation. The authors focus on the projects that promote the improvement of Russia's image as an eco-touristic destination. The authors pay specific attention to the analysis of international cooperation in this field. The article discusses various projects carried out within the framework of bilateral cooperation. The article discusses the role of ecological tourism as a tool for image policy. The article analyses in detail which elements of the Russian image are under the influence of ecological tourism and what are the future prospects of ecological tourism.     

Does authenticity exist in cultural theme parks? A case study of Millennium City Park in Henan,China

ABSTRACT

Authenticity has always been a salient concept in tourism studies. Most previous studies focused on cultural heritage sites while much less research was conducted on man-made attractions. Given the importance of authenticity in the tourism industry, this research investigates different authenticity concepts in a unique context: a Chinese cultural theme park. Millennium City Park is a typical cultural theme park in Kaifeng, Henan, China, and was chosen as the case study. This study identifies the perception of authenticity from the perspectives of both park managers and park visitors. It is found that visitors value authentic experience in the experience economy. Authenticity plays an important role in the tourism industry, in which activity-related authenticity is more important to visitors than object-related authenticity in cultural theme parks since visitors prefer more participation and involvement during their visits. It is suggested that park planners emphasize cultural elements in various products in cultural theme parks.     

A tale of two parks: Tibetan youths’ preferences for tourism community futures

This study explores young hosts’ identification of tourism resources and their perceptions of different tourism site management styles in a suburban village in Lhasa, Tibet. Two tourism parks with different management styles co-exist in the same village. One is collectively owned and managed by the community and the other is developed and managed by an outside company. Compared with previous tourism community research, this empirical study has four notable features: it focuses on a non-Western, emerging tourism community; compares responses to two different development approaches within a community; targets the emic views of the young local citizens; and connects the present with the future. A combination of research methods, including key informant interviews, photo-elicitation interviews, and a questionnaire-based survey were used in sequence. The study suggests that the Tibetan young hosts have clear views about tourism, the future, and their local resources. They strongly preferred the community-based style for the future, and their preferences extended to the kinds of tourists who visited the community-based property. The study adds empirical weight to the voices of those researchers who call for strong community control over local tourism resources as well as suggesting the benefits this approach may deliver.     

Call for Papers: Special Edition of Current Issues in Tourism

Many national parks around the world are major tourist attractions. While increases in national park tourism provides business opportunities, there are several economic, social and ecological aspects that need to be monitored in order to sustain high quality visitor experiences. This paper reports findings from visitor surveys at Fulufjället National Park, Sweden–one year prior to and one year after the national park designation in 2002. The purpose is to monitor short term changes in park use. Data from on site visitor counters show a 40% increase in the number of visitors, while follow-up mail surveys reveal several changes in visitor characteristics, use patterns, expenditures and attitudes.     

Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organisations

India's protected areas (PAs), especially those designated tiger reserves, are popular tourist destinations, experiencing considerable and growing visitor numbers, but the principles of ecotourism are not well implemented. This paper analyses tourism practice in a sample of popular tiger reserves in India according to four principles of responsible ecotourism: minimisation of environmental impacts, generation of funds for conservation, benefits to local communities, and education of visitors. Evidence demonstrates that few criteria of ecotourism are met in most PAs: tourism imposes significant detrimental impacts, little of the generated revenue is captured, local communities get mostly menial jobs, and visitor education is virtually non-existent with tourism geared mainly towards thrill-seeking. The Indian Forest Service, which manages the PAs, is on the whole unprepared and ill-equipped to plan and implement proper ecotourism practices and faces constant pressure from other actors to increase tourism revenue. Periyar National Park stands out as an exception where innovative approaches involving local communities have brought about a significant positive change. Policy recommendations are offered based on limited, low-impact activities with high participation of local communities which is essential to build local support for conservation that has been historically lacking.     

Exploring resource procurement for community-based event organization in social enterprises: evidence from Piedmont,Italy

ABSTRACT

This research contribution aims to shed light on the key role of social tourism entrepreneurship in community event management through the combination of innovative strategies for resource procurement. An exploratory qualitative case study was undertaken with 67 social tourism enterprises in Piedmont, Italy. The analysis shows that these social tourism enterprises have specific resource procurement strategies for community-based events. A business model emerges where the fundamental resource mobilization processes are based on three strategic approaches: (a) stakeholder participation and partnership; (b) sharing ideas, materials and knowledge; (c) capturing dispersed resources and assets from the local community. The identified variables provide a new perspective for the study of resource procurement in community event management.     

Large Protected Areas and Visitor Information Management in Germany

Tourism and recreation in the countryside, particularly in large protected areas, has become a major trend in Germany. However, despite the fact that the political as well as academic debate on the impacts of tourism on the environment has a long tradition in Germany, professional ‘visitor information management strategies’ are not implemented in all nature parks, national parks or biosphere reserves. Apart from the image that is held by the international academic community, Germany started late with modern communication policies in large protected areas with recreation and leisure amenities for general consumption. Learning from international best practice examples (e.g. from Great Britain, Ireland, USA), tourists in large protected areas are seen increasingly as ‘partners’ instead of ‘numbers to be managed’. Topical issues of discussion in this article are centred on the relationship between environmental protection policies and leisure and tourism consumption in Germany, focusing especially on the ‘nature parks’. Contemporary issues and problems concerning tourism demand and environmental protection will be presented and later discussed by the concept of visitor information management as a sustainable response. Furthermore, the dimensions of the ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ of visitor information management will be introduced.     

Social inequalities of park accessibility in Shenzhen,China: The role of park quality,transport modes,and hierarchical socioeconomic characteristics

Identifying the geographic units with restricted access to intra-urban parks has become a hot issue in transport studies. Previous literature has examined the social inequalities of park accessibility under the Western context; however, the issue has seldomly investigated against the non-Western background, especially in China. Using a case of Shenzhen (China), this paper examines the accessibility to parks of three quality levels (official standard) under four transport modes (public transit, walking, bicycle, and private car). In particular, the daily travel time from each community (8117) to each park (625) was harvested from the Baidu Map during 18:30–20:30 in July 2016. We further, based on the travel time calculations, develop four baseline indicators (the weighted average, the minimum, the maximum, and the standard deviation travel time) and three tolerance indicators of park accessibility (weighted average travel time within visit tolerance thresholds, standard deviation travel time within visit tolerance thresholds, and number of parks within visit tolerance thresholds) to measure park accessibility for each community. Results show that the seven accessibility indicators generate different estimations and the quantified accessibility varies greatly with park quality levels and transport modes. Communities present greater variations in accessibility to the first quality level and second quality level parks via walking and public transit. In addition, hierarchical regression is utilized to quantify the relationships between park accessibility and sociodemographic characteristics at two geographic levels (community and district). It is found that the associations are subjected to park quality, transport modes, and geographic levels. In particular, we discover significant social inequalities in park accessibility under the mode of public transit, walking, and bicycle. Our study should provide some new insights into accessibility research and advance the understanding of unequal park provision in developing countries.     

Interorganisational Relations in the Protected Area – Tourism Policy Domain: The Influence of Macro-economic Policy

A considerable body of work suggests that sustainable tourism development may only be achieved when sectoral fragmentation is overcome and collaborative planning achieved. This paper describes the findings from research that identifies obstacles to and opportunities for collaboration between two key stakeholders in a tourism policy domain. Specifically, the paper focuses on the influence of government macroeconomic policy on interorganisational relations between two government agencies. Generally, economic policy and practice provides not only the context, but also the rationale and legitimation of certain activities, and therefore shapes the nature of interorganisational relations, particularly when those organisations are reliant on state funding. Using an interorganisational relations framework, two federal government organisations in Canada involved in the 'national park – tourism' policy domain were studied to identify the influence of fiscal policy operating through a range of facilitating and inhibiting factors, on the formation and maintenance of relations between the organisations. The material for this paper has been drawn from a larger study that considers relations between a wider group of stakeholders in the Canadian 'national park-tourism' domain.     

Hoofing It – On Four or Two Feet? Managing Multi-use Trails and Sites

Horseback tourism in Australia has developed in response to the needs of a predominantly urban-based society, providing tourists with a nature-based experience that is in less contact with the physical environment than those who elect to walk or hike. Such differing modes of transport have created some problems in areas where multiple use of transport forms is permitted, such as the Alpine National Park in Victoria, Australia. Recognising that there is potentially a difference between groups in the parks and their motivations and relationships with the natural environment, research was undertaken to ascertain levels of attitudinal conflict between walkers to horseback tour groups. While social conflict was not as great as anticipated, there were high levels of misinformation regarding the operating permit requirements placed on horseback tours. Also, many of the survey respondents who had negative attitudes towards horseback groups had not actually encountered any themselves. The management implications for the land management agencies include a greater need for planning and operational staff to have an improved understanding of the psychological needs and motivations of visitors to national parks. Education of both land managers and visitors is the key to developing mutually beneficial and effective land management plans.     

The Role of Interested Groups in England's Emerging Tourism Policy Network

The role of interested groups within English tourism policy development has increased considerably in recent years. There are several possible explanations for this, including changing government policy styles, the perception of the importance of tourism to the national economy, and the developing sophistication of a tourism policy network. This paper reviews the role of interested groups and the nature of tourism policy development in England within the context of a theoretical discussion on public policy analysis, policy styles and policy networks. It specifically reports on the relationship between the tourism interest groups and government, and the mechanisms used by them to influence policy development. The paper shows that the tourism policy network can be characterised as immature. It has government at its centre directing strategic policy, with two sub-networks concentrating on the detail of commercial tourism and tourism resource policy. Within these sub-networks are dominant and secondary players defined as such by the manner in which they use their resources, gain access to decision-makers, collaborate with like-minded groups and work with government bureaucracy.     

Wild horse-based tourism as wildlife tourism: the wild horse as the other

Wild horses as the focus of tourism occupy a unique position. This is a consequence of their ambiguous status in the natural and cultural landscape, particularly in North America. Wild horses are ecological agents, cultural icons, economic factors and political pawns. The complexity of their management environment has an impact on the tourism and recreational context. Focusing on the western US and western Canada, this article explores a conceptual framework for wild horse-based tourism and highlights unique characteristics of the encounter between wild horses and visitors, drawing on literature and empirical data. It positions wild horse-based tourism within a framework of wildlife tourism and introduces the wild horse as a charismatic animal which elicits strong reactions from visitors who encounter it. While visitors tend to embrace the wild horse as an integral part of its habitat, as a symbol of the western frontier, and an embodiment of freedom, the animal remains an extremely polarising subject in the management debate of public lands in the USA and Canada. The wild horse's beleaguered status in both countries seriously interferes with the realisation of the true potential of wild horse-based tourism. On the other hand, wild horse supporters pin high hopes on this industry's transformative power.     

NGO–Community Collaboration for Ecotourism: A Strategy for Sustainable Regional Development

An inappropriate mega-tourist project dramatically threatened the communities and ecosystems at Bahias de Huatulco, a beautiful site on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. The indigenous communities in the neighbouring highlands suffered, first as their forests were logged, and then by the economic pressures and cultural onslaught from globalised tourist development. An environmentally sensitive programme to emplace an infrastructure to provide ecotourism services, supported by the traditional beach-front tourist industry, offers a mechanism to strengthen the social organisation and the economic base of the participating communities. Together with complementary activities to rehabilitate and better manage the forests, to introduce artisanal activities and create a local wildlife reserve, ecotourism is stimulating conservation efforts and sustainable management and production practices. By introducing these alternatives to the marginal economic opportunities offered by the beach tourism, the local peoples enjoy a higher quality of life and are better insulated from the cyclical swings in the national and international economy that are taking a high toll on peoples elsewhere.     

Research Note: Addressing Tourism Public Policy Issues through Attitude Segmentation of Host Communities

Resident attitudes are important in identifying the impact of tourism within communities and in determining local policy, planning and management responses for the development of tourism. Additionally, tourism policies established are vital for the marketing of cities, regions and countries. This paper examines tourism public policy, with particular reference to the importance of addressing host community interests and involving host communities in public policy decision making. It outlines a segmentation study undertaken on New Zealand residents' views on tourism and how these segments can be applied to tourism policy making.