Local discourses and international initiatives: sociocultural sustainability of tourism in Oulanka National Park,Finland

National parks have become important tourist attractions and tools for regional development. New international initiatives, such as PAN (Protected Area Network) Parks in Europe, now promote sustainable tourism in protected areas. This paper examines the sociocultural sustainability of tourism perceived by local stakeholders of Oulanka National Park in northeastern Finland. The central question concerns the role of PAN Parks certification in community and tourism development. Four discourses were identified, based on 40 semi-structured interviews exploring different views on sociocultural development pertaining to tourism in the national park: (1) integrating nature-based tourism and conservation, (2) defending the rights of local people, (3) stressing the economic utilization of nature and (4) accepting tourism development and the national park. Although local stakeholders mostly have a positive perception of tourism in the park, it cannot be concluded whether the park facilitates development in a sustainable manner or not. Key problems identified are lack of participation opportunities and contradictions with traditional subsistence economies. The various positions of stakeholders in these discourses tend to influence their views on sustainability. Findings imply the necessity to monitor the distribution of benefits and burdens of park development holistically to multiple stakeholders.     

On bringing people and park together through ecotourism: The Nanda Devi National Park,India

While the need for linking park with people was heavily stressed both at the World Conservation Strategy (1980) and the World Congress of National Parks (1982), the conflict has remained unresolved, particularly in the developing nations. The hackneyed question, who is more important – monkey or man - is still argued. Admittedly, human beings are as much a part of nature as any other animal or plant species. Indeed, it is neither desirable nor feasible to alienate poor people, living in and around parks and protected areas. Modern methods of judicious park management now point more to Integrated Conservation Development Projects (ICDP) than resorting to a traditional “fences and fines” approach. ICDP ensures the conservation of biological diversity by reconciling the management of park with social and economic needs of the local people, who have limited access to resources and few alternative means of livelihood. Paradoxically, these people bear substantial costs – as a result of lost access – while receiving little in return. Nanda Devi National Park in Uttaranchal (India) presents an unsavory example of people and park relationship. It is India's highest park after Kangchendzongha (Sikkim). Characterized by high altitude ecology, the park (625?sq.?km) is profoundly rich in biodiversity, mountain-lores and mythologies. Indigenous communities, particularly Bhotias, have enriched the landscape by their bizarre ways of life. After Tilman and Shipston's successful ascent (1936) of Nanda Devi peak (7817?m), an era of mountaineering and trekking ensued which resulted in degradation of fragile Himalayan environment. Poaching of musk deer and herb smuggling also raised alarm. Considering the dire conservation needs for preserving genetic resources and diversity of species, the area was notified as a National Park in 1982. Subsequently, the park was closed for ecological quarantine. Later it was declared a Biosphere Reserve (1988) and inscribed asa World Heritage Site in 1992. Customary to Third World practices, the park emphasized a policing role excluding local people, displacing them arbitrarily with meager or little compensation for their losses of livelihood. Ban on tourism activities further added to their problem of life and living. The paper discusses the cleavage of park and people and argues that development of sound ecotourism can resolve this conflict and bring park and people together.     

Can ecotourism deliver real economic,social, and environmental benefits? A study of the Osa Peninsula,Costa Rica

Doubt persists about ecotourism's ability to make tangible contributions to conservation and deliver benefits for host communities. This work in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula tests the hypothesis that ecotourism in this region is more effective at improving well-being for local residents, at enhancing their access to key resources and information, and at supporting biodiversity conservation than other locally available economic sectors. Data from 128 semi-structured interviews with local workers, both in ecotourism and in other occupations, together with associated research, indicate that ecotourism offers the best currently available employment opportunities, double the earnings of other livelihoods, and other linked benefits. Locally, ecotourism is viewed as the activity contributing most to improvements in residents’ quality of life in the Osa Peninsula and to increased levels of financial and attitudinal support for parks and environmental conservation. Ecolodge ownership by local people is substantial, and many local ecotourism workers plan to launch their own businesses. The data offer a convincing rebuttal to arguments that ecotourism does little to address poverty or disparities in access to resources and equally rebuts claims that ecotourism is simply a part of the “neoliberal conservation toolkit” that cannot help but exacerbate the very inequalities it purports to address.     

Modelling attitudes to nature,tourism and sustainable development in national parks: A survey of visitors in China and the UK

This research undertook a visitor survey in two protected areas in different cultural contexts, namely China and the UK, to explore whether the value a person attaches to the environment influences their attitude towards sustainable tourism development in national parks. Structural equation models were developed with data from 597 and 368 questionnaires collected in Jiuzhaigou National Scenic Area, China and the New Forest National Park, UK respectively. The results suggested that anthropocentric or ecocentric values significantly influence people's attitudes to tourism and sustainable development. The same structured causal relationship was found in both samples, between people's attitudes towards the natural environment, conservation and tourism in a national park context.     

Can Sanctions and Rewards Explain Conformance Behaviour of Tour Operators with Ecotourism Guidelines?

Ecotourism's appeal as a conservation and development tool rests in its potential to provide local economic benefits while maintaining ecological resource integrity through low-impact, non-consumptive resource use. Some, however, question its contribution to conservation and community development, citing negative impacts, such as solid waste generation, habitat destruction, and sociocultural ills. This paper, based on a comparative study in Costa Rica, explores some of these issues. Study findings were mixed regarding ecotourism's effectiveness as a conservation and community development tool. Survey respondents saw legal restrictions as more influential than tourism in prompting declines in deforestation and hunting rates. Likewise, respondents did not feel tourism operators were significant players in raising environmental awareness. The research also revealed that direct employment in ecotourism was associated with pro-conservation practices, but indirect benefits showed stronger associations in generating pro-conservation perspectives. Little evidence was found to suggest that people are investing tourism-generated income in environmentally threatening practices. Research findings also indicated that scale influences tourism's benefits and negative impacts and that, where ecotourism dominates local economies, towns may become economically vulnerable. The paper concludes by recognising that ecotourism would be most effective as a component of a broader conservation strategy and offers suggestions to improve ecotourism's potential.     

境外国家公园社区管理冲突：表现、溯源及启示

国家公园社区冲突研究对于目前中国正开展的国家公园体制试点工作具有指导意义。文章以境外国家公园社区冲突为现实案例,梳理公园管理机构与社区之间冲突的具体表现,发现社区冲突是由公园定界、公园生态保护和公园开发利用3个方面所引致,由此追根溯源至土地政策、利益机制和管理手段。当这三者置身于国家公园体制框架中时,从土地权属保障制度、社区参与制度和特许经营制度3个方面着手预防或改善公园与社区居民之间的关系是具有可操作性和针对性的。文章提出的4类土地权属关系可从一定程度上解决生态保护和社区发展的矛盾,PAC模式保证了社区在国家公园利益分配和补偿中的重要地位,透明顺畅的信息沟通增强社区对公园的信任和信心,社区特许经营制度向社区的倾斜可保障失地社区居民生计。当社区居民“得以偿失”,社区冲突就会止于源头。     

游客对国家公园功能的认知及其实现路径——以武夷山国家公园为例

中国国家公园体制以“生态保护第一、国家代表性、全民公益性”为核心理念,通过游憩功能体现其公共资源属性,促进全民公益性目标实现,是确保国家公园生态保护成效的基本要求。为寻求实现国家公园功能的路径,本文基于问卷调查,考察游客对武夷山国家公园功能的认知、对游憩服务的期待以及参与国家公园保护的态度。研究表明,游客看重与其切身利益密切相关的游憩和环境教育等功能,但在空间认知上割裂了保护和利用在国家公园内的统一性;游客关注国家公园在游憩机会上的多样化和创新性,关注点受到年龄、职业、收入、教育程度等人口统计学因素影响;游客的生态保护参与意愿普遍较强,但对保护对象并无具体认知。因此,国家公园游憩功能的发展需要从前端导入国家公园概念、功能和管理目标等公益性的基础理念,既需要根据游客多样性需求完善服务,也需要引导游客了解公园区域定位和内部功能分区。研究指出,国家公园需要在增强游客对其功能公益性理解的基础上,探索自然保护地旅游发展的新范式,从而改善游憩体验,促进游客更好地参与生态保护。     

Tourism stakeholders’ perceptions of national park management in Norway

Local tourism firms represent an important stakeholder interest in national parks. The present study examines these stakeholders’ perceptions of management processes and their assessments of the resulting management plans and operations. This research is based on qualitative interviews with representatives of tourism businesses in two different national park settings in Norway – Rondane National Park and Jotunheimen National Park. The findings illustrate that despite their general support for the national park status, the local tourism stakeholders interviewed had experienced only minor involvement in the management planning process, and had had very little influence in the final management decisions. They believed that opportunities for business operations were lacking due to excessive management restrictions, and that managers lacked competence with regard to business management and tourism development issues. In addition, they thought that management authorities should more explicitly include sustainable tourism development in their visions and goals. Based on the findings, it is assumed that there is potential for local tourism operators to take greater responsibility in planning processes and management operations. It is concluded that measures should be taken to foster durable social links and trustworthy planning partnerships between responsible managers and local tourism stakeholders in the two national parks.     

Perceptions of tourism revenue sharing impacts on Volcanoes National Park,Rwanda: a Sustainable Livelihoods framework

Tourism revenue sharing (TRS) has become a popular strategy for integrated wildlife conservation and rural development in Africa. In Rwanda, 5% of tourism revenue is invested annually in communities adjacent to protected areas. However, the conservation impact of the TRS strategy has been challenged. Previous studies have revealed structural constraints of TRS, which partially explain TRS shortfalls. The TRS application is complex and needs deeper understanding of both conceptual and structural constraints. In this paper, we examine local perceptions of TRS, and use the Sustainable Livelihoods framework to conceptually understand the livelihood capability, equity and sustainability constraints of TRS at Volcanoes National Park (VNP). Results suggest that TRS has had minimal conservation impact due to acute food insecurity and limited livelihood capabilities among the poorest residents in proximity to VNP. This is exacerbated by several TRS structural constraints, such as the association membership fee requirement for TRS benefits, political influence, poor conservation linkages, and limited participation of the most socially and economically disadvantaged residents in proximity to VNP. This paper recommends restructuring of the TRS decision-making process to ensure consideration of both short-term and long-term conservation goals, wildlife conservation linkages and participation of the most economically disadvantaged residents in proximity to the park boundary.     

Antecedents of augmented reality experiences: potential tourists to Shangri-La Potatso National Park,China

ABSTRACT

Smartphone technology has the potential to change the nature of a tourists’ experience in a protected area. A smartphone running an augmented reality (AR) app may contribute to the protection of national parks while enhancing a visitor’s experience. This paper examined potential visitors’ to Potatso National Park, Shangri- La, China, their preferences for seven such AR experiences and the effect of visitors’ acceptance of technology on the perceived value of visiting the park. An online questionnaire (n?=?323) identified results and provided insights for enhancement of national park experiences using AR.     

美国海峡群岛国家公园环境教育实践经验及对中国的启示

海洋海岛类国家公园是中国国家公园体系的重要类型之一,开展环境教育建设对于国家公园公益性的发挥具有重要作用。本文根据美国海峡群岛国家公园的实地考察及资料分析环境教育特点,总结环境教育实践经验,提出对中国海洋海岛国家公园环境教育体系建设的启示。结论如下：（1）海峡群岛国家公园环境教育具有生态系统及景观特殊性、教育场所弱可达性及教育方式多元性。（2）海峡群岛国家公园环境教育体系以教育内容和支撑体系为主体架构,其中教育内容划分为海岸、海岛、沿海（潮间带与泛洪区）、海下区域4类,支撑体系涵盖管理、资金、解说、传播、人才5个方面。（3）中国海洋海岛国家公园环境教育可在统筹管理、解说规划、人才培养等多方面予以借鉴,以探索符合中国国情的海洋海岛国家公园的环境教育建设模式。     

Representing the landscape of Yushan National Park

Our study examined the representations of Yushan National Park from the perspectives of two tourism stakeholders, including an indigenous local community and the national park service. Social representations theory was applied to explore competing claims for a legitimate version of the park by each group. Additionally, the concept of territoriality was adopted to examine territorial expressions associated with the park and places therein. Sixteen community and twelve park service informants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Both groups were found to converge in certain representations they ascribed to Yushan. More frequently, they were discordant in what consisted of its ideal image. Territorial strategies were employed by some informants to defend their ideal representation. Implications for collaborative partnerships are discussed.     

基于CiteSpace的中国国家公园游憩利用研究知识图谱

以CNKI中国知网为数据源,运用CiteSpace科学计量工具深入分析了国家公园游憩利用研究的多维知识图谱。研究结果表明:国家公园游憩利用研究作者合作结构松散,尚未形成紧密的学术研究合作机构与团队;研究知识演进可划分为经验借鉴萌芽(1982~2006年),初步探索成长(2007~2013年)以及深入试点发展(2014年至今)等3个阶段;研究主题富有国家政策导向性,2006年与2014年为研究转折性节点;研究主题演变主要从国家公园游憩利用理念借鉴、游憩多维评价、生态旅游开发与规划等转移到国家公园社区旅游、游憩经营与管理、游憩生态影响、游憩公共公益性,再到游憩利用维度视角的国家公园体制机制。学术界研究视角主要涉及风景园林学、经济学、地学、旅游学、生态学等。今后,需从国家公园体制建设现实出发开展多学科、跨机构、多平台的深入合作,对国家公园游憩空间价值与伦理进行深度关怀与反思,而探索建立中国本土特色的国家公园游憩利用持续发展模式与机制应当成为未来亟须研究的重点。     

A Decommodified Experience? Exploring Aesthetic,Economic and Ethical Values for Volunteer Ecotourism in Costa Rica

Volunteer ecotourism has been described as an ‘ideal’ form of decommodified ecotourism that overcomes problems associated with tourism in general, and ecotourism specifically. Using a case study of volunteer ecotourism and sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica, this paper interrogates this ideal. Perceptions of volunteer ecotourism were explored through in-depth interviews with 36 stakeholders, including hosts, NGO staff, government employees, local ‘cabineros’ (families who provide accommodation) and guests (volunteers). Results show that while all stakeholder groups share similarly positive views of volunteer ecotourism, subtle but important differences exist. We analyse these differences in terms of aesthetic, economic, and ethical values, and situate the results in existing theories about the moralisation and decommodification of ecotourism.     

国家公园旅游发展对周边社区居民生活质量的影响——以黄山风景区为例

旅游发展是国家公园生态价值转化的重要路径与国家公园全民公益性的重要体现,周边社区居民是国家公园体制建设与旅游发展中的核心利益相关者之一,其生活质量影响国家公园生态保护与高质量发展。本文利用黄山风景区门户社区居民调查数据,探讨了处于探索阶段、参与阶段、发展阶段和巩固阶段等不同旅游生命周期阶段的社区居民生活质量差异及其成因。研究表明：（1）不同旅游发展阶段的社区居民生活质量差异显著,居民生活质量随社区旅游发展阶段演进而提升的现象具有滞后效应;（2）居民生计资本对不同旅游发展阶段社区居民生活质量的提升具有差异性;（3）随着社区旅游发展水平的不断提高,人力资本对居民生活质量的提升处于主导地位。     

Ecotourism and Certification: Confronting the Principles and Pragmatics of Socially Responsible Tourism

Many ecotourism proponents advocate certification as a means to distinguish legitimate ecotourism from counterfeit ‘greenwashed’ products. This paper discusses efforts by certification advocates operating in global arenas to generate standards for measuring compliance with one dimension of widely accepted definitions of ecotourism, the stipulation that it should provide benefits to local communities. The paper then presents an ethnographic case study from Belize that reveals disagreements among ecotourism stakeholders in Belize and between them and international experts about the meaning of several key terms: who should count as ‘local’, what should count as ‘participation’ by locals, and what constitutes a ‘benefit’ to local communities. The author argues that divergent perspectives on these issues must be recognised and accommodated in the process of harmonising or standardising certification criteria for ecotourism; failure to do that could imperil both the principled and pragmatic rationales behind the requirement that ecotourism provide benefits to local communities.     

Ecotourism in Bako National Park,Borneo: Visitors’ Perspectives on Environmental Impacts and their Management

Ecotourism potentially provides a sustainable approach to development in Malaysia. However, to realise this potential the adverse effects of visitor activity and associated infrastructure on the natural environment and the tourism experience must be identified to guide management actions and thus to sustain the resources on which ecotourism ultimately depends. This study, conducted in Bako National Park on the island of Borneo, reports one of the first efforts to identify the impacts of ecotourism in Malaysia from the perspective of visitors. Environmental conditions of greatest influence on visitors’ experiences included litter and biophysical conditions such as soil erosion and vegetation damage. These conditions were of greater concern to visitors than social conditions, such as the number of people. These results suggest that management efforts can be directed towards indicators of greatest concern such as litter, soil erosion and vegetation damage. The broad support given by those surveyed for a range of management actions provides managers with a choice of strategies to sustain ecotourism in Bako National Park. This study, with its sociopolitical approach, contributes to a greater understanding of the implications of the ecotourist experience for ecotourism management in Malaysia.     

Can Ecotourism Interpretation Really Lead to Pro-Conservation Knowledge,Attitudes and Behaviour? Evidence from the Galapagos Islands

Proponents of ecotourism within protected areas believe that tour design and interpretation can help mitigate the negative impacts of tourism, human and environmental, and build an educated and motivated constituency that supports environmental conservation and social improvements. However, ecotourism's claims to achieve those objectives are largely untested, and linkages between tourism's operational characteristics and positive changes in tourists” environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are largely unexplored. This exploratory research investigated the efforts of one Galapagos National Park tour operator to explore whether a well-conceived interpretation/ecotourism product could influence tourists” educational outcomes and support of environmental conservation. Results suggest that well-designed and delivered interpretation during the ecotourism experience can increase knowledge of the host-protected area, supportive attitudes towards resource management issues facing the host-protected area, general environmental behavioural intentions and philanthropic support of conservation.     

Residents’ perspectives of a newly developed ecotourism project: an assessment of effectiveness through the lens of an importance–performance analysis

Understanding the perceived importance and performance of various components of ecotourism to residents living in the area it is undertaken is crucial to the overall success of an ecotourism development project. This study examines residents’ perceptions of the importance and performance of ecotourism components (i.e. environmental conservation, economic wellbeing, promotion of local arts and culture, local participation, and fair share of resources), including overall ecotourism development, at the Gaurishankar Conservation Area (GCA) – a recently implemented ecotourism development project in Nepal. This study also examines the effect of socio-demographic, economic, and psychological factors on a perceived gap between the importance and the performance of ecotourism components. Findings suggest that the ecotourism development project at the GCA should concentrate on improving the economic wellbeing of residents, and on overall ecotourism development. Findings also suggest that residents’ inclusion in benefit-sharing mechanisms was associated with a reduced perceived gap between the importance and performance of ecotourism components. A comparison among different geographical segments of residents indicated that the perceived gap between importance and performance varies across different locations.     

Can nature-based tourism benefits compensate for the costs of national parks? A study of the Bavarian Forest National Park,Germany

German national parks are increasingly under pressure from land use change and need objective information on economic values associated with different forms of use to help policy-makers resolve conflicting policy goals. To date, a complete cost–benefit analysis of a German national park has not been undertaken. This paper addresses this gap through a study from the Bavarian Forest National Park (BFNP), the oldest and best known park in Germany. The research questions are: (1) Is the designation of the national park economically justified? and (2) Can revenue from park tourism compensate for its costs? Databases used include a visitor and enterprise survey, qualitative interviews and secondary sources; analyses involved several interrelated environmental valuation methods. Results suggest that the BFNP is an economically favourable land use option under most scenarios. At national level, half of the scenarios show a benefit–cost ratio (BCR) greater than 1. At regional level the park acts as a tool for economic development, generating net monetary gains for surrounding counties, with BCRs of over 1 throughout. Tourism contributes to over 60% of the benefits and compensates for more than two-thirds of the costs in half of the scenarios discussed. Key policy implications are listed.