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Tourism and conservation policies in Sweden share a significant common history, involving constructions of the non-human world. In this paper, the development of this historical relationship is traced through national park policies and the Swedish Tourist Association's yearbooks, from the late nineteenth century onward. We explore this in theoretical terms of what Nancy Fraser has called 'boundary struggles': constantly mutating institutionalized divisions between capitalist production and nature, public governance, and social reproductive activities. Through our analysis, we identify five discursive formations — significant changes in the discursive constructions of the non-human world entailing reconfigurations of boundary struggles. Shifts between notions of sublime and wild nature external to capitalism, as stakes in welfare state accessibility debate, and as tools in the current moment of intensified commodification of the non-human world, confirm the persistence of boundary struggles in capitalist society. • Emphasizes capitalism's contested separation from nature, reproduction, and polity. • Traces constructions of the non-human world throughout Swedish national park history. • Analyses key policies and tourism yearbooks between 1870 and 2021. • Detects five discursive displacements in the constructions of the non-human world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the public needs to be made more aware of the benefits of sustainability for the local environment. It appears that tourism is a particularly effective tool for teaching sustainability and responsibility because it not only provides new experiences but also explains and enhances the visited area. Visitors should become more conscious of the need to preserve the ecosystem as a result of this remarkable experience, which is caused by skillfully planned activities. The authors of this study discuss the effects of tourism in the natural enclave of Poznań (Poland) while presenting the findings of interdisciplinary studies on locally threatened orchid species. The number and condition of individual orchids have not changed significantly as a result of rather strong anthropopressure, according to observations made since 1997. The study area is an ideal place to enhance environmental education and responsible tourism because it is also rich in historical values. Such tourism can be considered responsible urban tourism. According to the questionnaire study, which was based on 1000 surveys, respondents expressed a developing emotional attachment to the area and commended the educational pathways and changes in land use. They also acknowledged that they did not know enough about the location, the environment, or the cultural legacy. The current study demonstrates that, while society has grown to value the Kopanina wilderness, it has also begun to consider nature conservation from a wider perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study investigates the complex relationship between residents and national parks in a top nature-based destination, Poland's Tatra and Podhale region. Utilizing a door-to-door survey of 511 respondents from 26 towns around Tatra National Park (TNP), the research employs two-step structural equation modeling and fsQCA to analyze how place attachment and preferences for nature protection strategies interact. Contrary to the widely held view that tourism development positively influences attitudes toward national parks, we found tourism growth in the communities surrounding TNP impacts how these communities relate to the protected area. The study concludes that for TNP to gain broader community support, it is crucial to convey to residents their essential role as a tourism asset. This finding has wider implications for how national parks and adjacent communities can coexist harmoniously in areas experiencing rapid tourism expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based tourism is rising in popularity in developing countries. This presents a challenge for protected area (PA) managers forcing them to revisit management strategies to balance revenue generation while maintaining ecological integrity. Identifying tourists' preference for nature-viewing can aid in improved tourism management while simultaneously enhancing visitor experiences. We conducted semi-structured surveys with 516 tourists visiting three popular Indian PAs to understand their nature-viewing preferences. We identified the factors influencing viewing preferences for seven biodiversity categories using recursive partitioning classification trees. We found the biodiversity categories such as charismatic megafauna and landscape to be major tourist-attractants. Despite this, we also found that prior engagement in conservation activities, age, and gender can influence preference for viewing low-profile categories such as herpetofauna and flora. Providing opportunities for people to engage in conservation at different levels of governance and especially for tourists when visiting a PA could increase appreciation for all species and funding available for their conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies question whether ubiquitous connectivity via mobiles represents an enhancer and facilitator in nature-based tourism experiences or a potential destructor to disconnect from. We argue that extant research approaches cannot fully grasp the complexity of the connectivity-disconnection dilemma, specifically how tourists appropriate, reinterpret, reshape, and negotiate with meanings inscribed in mobiles and how such negotiations link to valuations of nature-based experiences. This research adopts an interpretivist approach and uses actor-network theory to investigate negotiations of connectivity and their experiential meanings through field interviews in Fulufjället National Park, Sweden. Results reveal translations of social connectivity, facilitation of information and orientation as thematic cores of tourists' embodiments of mobile connectivity. Results also show how the comprehensive tourismscape where such embodiments find meaning contributes to tourists' definitions of disconnection. Such definitions comprise human and non-human actors on site, off site, and cannot be exhausted by essentialist dualisms between being plugged and unplugged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature‐based tourism has a unique opportunity, and arguably responsibility, to promote widespread action on climate change. However, research suggests an aversion to providing information that might appear divisive or 'ruin' peoples day, particularly in places that are vulnerable to degradation.We explore how exposure to climate change information in vulnerable nature settings influences indicators of (i) the visitor experience and (ii) climate change engagement. Using a quasi‐experimental approach, we provided climate information on tourist boats operating on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and compared visitor experiences with a control condition where climate information was not provided. Visitor surveys (n = 656) assessed perceptions and experiences.Overall, visitors on trips where climate information was provided were more likely to report that the reef experience exceeded their expectations and did not report any reduction in subjective trip satisfaction.However, we detected minimal effects of climate information on indicators of climate engagement (threat awareness, action awareness, or information seeking), suggesting room for improvement in interpretation approach and design. Indeed, visitors reported high levels of acceptability for incorporating more information about climate change, particularly about actions.Synthesis and applications: These results suggest that providing climate information does not undermine visitor experiences and while further research is required to determine the most effective approach for influencing climate change engagement, an appetite for more information exists. It is possible that what tourism operators are fearful of, may be an opportunity to improve outcomes aligned with both industry and environmental objectives. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the heterogeneity in preferences and willingness to pay for various nature-based tourism activities that can be carried out in natural areas on Gran Canaria Island (Spain). A discrete choice experiment is designed to obtain information about potential visitors' preferences in a set of hypothetical scenarios involving various activity packages created by combining the levels of the attributes according to an efficient design. Collected information is used to estimate a Mixed Logit model which will allow us to evaluate random and systematic heterogeneity in preferences. A key finding of the research emanates from obtaining individual-specific parameters to calculate not only the willingness to pay for the various activities but also the amount that could guide a potential compensation when undesired activities are included in the package. Results provide interesting managerial tools that can be used by tourism entrepreneurs to promote nature-based tourism products in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nature‐based tourism has a unique opportunity, and arguably responsibility, to promote widespread action on climate change. However, research suggests an aversion to providing information that might appear divisive or ‘ruin’ peoples day, particularly in places that are vulnerable to degradation. We explore how exposure to climate change information in vulnerable nature settings influences indicators of (i) the visitor experience and (ii) climate change engagement. Using a quasi‐experimental approach, we provided climate information on tourist boats operating on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and compared visitor experiences with a control condition where climate information was not provided. Visitor surveys (n = 656) assessed perceptions and experiences. Overall, visitors on trips where climate information was provided were more likely to report that the reef experience exceeded their expectations and did not report any reduction in subjective trip satisfaction. However, we detected minimal effects of climate information on indicators of climate engagement (threat awareness, action awareness, or information seeking), suggesting room for improvement in interpretation approach and design. Indeed, visitors reported high levels of acceptability for incorporating more information about climate change, particularly about actions. Synthesis and applications: These results suggest that providing climate information does not undermine visitor experiences and while further research is required to determine the most effective approach for influencing climate change engagement, an appetite for more information exists. It is possible that what tourism operators are fearful of, may be an opportunity to improve outcomes aligned with both industry and environmental objectives. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

In the face of the present ecological crisis, a relational understanding of human-nature relationships is increasingly critical, especially in protected nature areas. This understanding encompasses not only the values assigned to nature but also the environmental values that individuals hold and their impact on sense-making. We apply the Two Major Environmental Value scale, which allows for the classification of individuals into four environmental value groups along a broader spectrum. For the first time, we examine the scales' explanatory power in the context of nature-based tourism in a protected area. Specifically, we explore the dynamic between different environmental value groups and their sense-making of the restrictions limiting access to nature in a Swedish nature reserve. Findings reveal significant differences in how visitors with varying environmental values perceive these restrictions. We introduce a newly identified value-based visitor group, i.e. the dualcentric environmental value group. Its perception of restrictions is found to be located between those of the biocentric and the anthropocentric group. Implications for how management should work towards creating transformative nature-based tourist experiences based on human-nature relationships are discussed along with an agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the psychological constructs related to ocean conservation among visitors to a marine mammal park in Portugal. A survey was conducted with 335 adult visitors, assessing value orientations, awareness of ocean vulnerability, attribution of responsibility, personal norms, and behavioral intentions towards ocean conservation. The results revealed two distinct attitudinal profiles among the visitors. ‘Anthropocentric visitors’ prioritize human interests over environmental concerns, along with heightened awareness of the ocean’s vulnerability and greater ascription of responsibility to humans for environmental problems. ‘Ecocentric visitors’ recognize the intrinsic worth of nature, reporting deeper awareness of the consequences of environmental issues on the ocean, more robust personal norms centered on moral obligations towards conservation and higher behavioral intentions to support ocean conservation. Compared to whale-watching tourists from a previous study, the zoo visitors exhibited more polarized anthropocentric and ecocentric profiles, suggesting the whale-watching tourists fell somewhere between the two zoo visitor profiles in their psychological orientations. These contrasting profiles emphasize the heterogeneity in environmental attitudes and highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to resonate with the distinct psychological motivations of different audience segments. Institutions like zoos can play a vital role in shaping public attitudes through targeted communication strategies aligned with visitors’ unique value systems and beliefs.

Abstract People's recreational activities in nature are essential to promote wildlife conservation. The interplay between humans and the environment is complex, as the presence of humans may impact wildlife both directly and by altering species interactions. Thus, conservation management in protected areas where people frequently interact with wildlife is challenging. We investigated the combined impact of different recreational activities of varying intensity, along with environmental and temporal factors, on the activity of the endangered mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) and its predator, the golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park—a protected area in northern Israel. We placed 109 camera traps in gazelles' activity centres over 5 years. We analysed the activity patterns of both species and how these patterns were affected by visitor activity. We found that gazelles became more nocturnal in areas with higher visitor activity, which led to greater overlap in their activity periods with golden Jackals. Both species were less active when there were more visitors in the park, but jackals were more attracted to disturbed areas, while gazelles avoided them. Furthermore, we found that gazelles' activity was primarily affected by visitor activity compared to environmental factors, study year or predator activity. Policy implications. We show direct and indirect effects of visitors on a predator–prey system and highlight the importance of understanding these impacts to manage protected areas and support human–wildlife coexistence. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Nature-based tourism is a prominent component of the tourism sector in South Africa, attracting both domestic and international travellers. Camping plays a crucial role, providing both affordable lodging and an opportunity to engage more directly and continuously with the natural environment. Climate is a key determinant of the feasibility of camping activities and has been empirically established as a significant influence in tourists’ decision-making process when selecting a destination. The climate in South Africa, while highly heterogenous, has been generally classified as ‘ideal’ for tourism. The Camping Climate Index (CCI) has recently been developed to quantify the climatic suitability of diverse camping locations, and the suitability of the index confirmed for South Africa. This study applies the CCI to 33 stations across South Africa for the period 1990–2022 or for the longest time period for which data are available. The average annual CCI scores range from 3.5 (‘unfavourable’) for Sutherland to 5.3 (‘acceptable’) for King Shaka International Airport. Mean monthly scores for the common period 2017–2021 range from 2.7 (‘unfavourable’) for Sutherland in August to 6.2 (‘good’) for Springbok in January and December. This facilitates the advancement of the tourism sector in South Africa by providing a quantitative assessment of the climatic conditions suitable for camping activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the psychological constructs related to ocean conservation among visitors to a marine mammal park in Portugal. A survey was conducted with 335 adult visitors, assessing value orientations, awareness of ocean vulnerability, attribution of responsibility, personal norms, and behavioral intentions towards ocean conservation. The results revealed two distinct attitudinal profiles among the visitors. 'Anthropocentric visitors' prioritize human interests over environmental concerns, along with heightened awareness of the ocean's vulnerability and greater ascription of responsibility to humans for environmental problems. 'Ecocentric visitors' recognize the intrinsic worth of nature, reporting deeper awareness of the consequences of environmental issues on the ocean, more robust personal norms centered on moral obligations towards conservation and higher behavioral intentions to support ocean conservation. Compared to whale-watching tourists from a previous study, the zoo visitors exhibited more polarized anthropocentric and ecocentric profiles, suggesting the whale-watching tourists fell somewhere between the two zoo visitor profiles in their psychological orientations. These contrasting profiles emphasize the heterogeneity in environmental attitudes and highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to resonate with the distinct psychological motivations of different audience segments. Institutions like zoos can play a vital role in shaping public attitudes through targeted communication strategies aligned with visitors' unique value systems and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This explorative study contributes to developing methods using social media data and social network theory in tourism studies to unravel cultural ecosystem values. Focused on the case of an emblematic village for whale-watching activity, Húsavík, in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland, this study explores the cultural ecosystem service values of individuals as expressed through social media (TripAdvisor and Instagram) related to the practice of whale-watching. The aim is to document the cultural ecosystem service values and environmental judgements which provide information that could be used in future marine planning efforts. For this, 650 TripAdvisor entries posted between 2019 and 2021 were analysed, together with 100 images posted on Instagram between 2021 and 2022. The Social Network Analysis enabled visualization of the interconnected hashtag networks underscoring human-nature interactions. Instead of environmental and conservation values, the results show that they relate to 'ocular consumption' and 'aesthetic consumption'. The lack of conservation values, cultural heritage values, or even spiritual values is likely a reflection of the Instagram and TripAdvisor platforms. We conclude that social media data should always be complementary to narrative and qualitative data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based tourism is often touted as an inherently effective form of ecotourism, where visitors become ambassadors for the places they visit and participate in transformative experiences. However, research demonstrates that behavior change and transformative experiences remain elusive. This study builds upon the Contextual Model of Learning and Transformative Learning Theory by exploring visitors' learning and behavior change at both in situ and ex situ polar bear tourism experiences. A detailed conceptual analysis and integration of existing literature provides evidence to support an integration of these learning frameworks to more effectively guide the intentional design of visitor experiences in order to target specific outcomes and domains of learning. This paper offers an important next step in providing a guiding process to facilitate and evaluate free-choice learning experiences that seek to offer visitors more intentionally designed, impactful, and potentially transformative experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism can play a significant role in the conservation of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) by financing the protection of their habitat, but few systematic studies have focused on the impacts of tourist presence on gorilla behavior. We assessed stress-coping mechanisms (Prosocial behaviors), behavioral indicators of stress (Self-scratching), and Human-directed behavior, in the presence and absence of tourist groups visiting one group of mountain gorillas living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyse differences in gorilla behavior as a function of (a) presence vs. absence of tourists and (b) proximity to tourists (3 m). Contrary to guidelines, tourists spent 60% of their viewing time within 3 m of the gorillas, and 96% of the tourist groups had more than 8 people. During tourist visits, gorillas increased time spent in Prosocial behavior and in rates of Self-scratching and Human-directed behavior. When tourists approached gorillas within 3 m, Prosocial and Human-directed behavior increased while Feeding decreased, but only adult males increased Self-scratching rates. We conclude that tourists are influencing gorilla behavior. We recommend following and enforcing the IUCN guidelines by keeping a minimum 7 m distance when viewing gorillas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of reliable information on local climatic-tourism conditions is a growing need due to the influence it exerts on the quality of the organizational strategy of tourist destination's, and travel experience. Evaluations of the tourism potential of the climate have been carried out on a daily or monthly resolution, thus limiting the collection of detailed information that makes it possible to fine-tune tourism management and operational decision-making on an intraday scale. This research is the first case study to analyse the climatic suitability for nature tourism, using the weather types method at hourly resolution. The study applies to arid tourist destinations in Isfahan province (Iran). The detailed resolution has made it possible to identify the time slots favourable to the development of nature tourism in those periods of the year recognized as critical in the daily resolution analyses. In the same way, the hourly resolution has also identified critical bands in those periods indicated as favourable in the evaluations to daily resolution. The hourly resolution provides detailed information that can allow tourists and also tourism managers to establish intraday adaptation strategies that make it possible to develop the activity even in places with extreme climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People's recreational activities in nature are essential to promote wildlife conservation. The interplay between humans and the environment is complex, as the presence of humans may impact wildlife both directly and by altering species interactions. Thus, conservation management in protected areas where people frequently interact with wildlife is challenging.We investigated the combined impact of different recreational activities of varying intensity, along with environmental and temporal factors, on the activity of the endangered mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) and its predator, the golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park—a protected area in northern Israel.We placed 109 camera traps in gazelles' activity centres over 5 years. We analysed the activity patterns of both species and how these patterns were affected by visitor activity.We found that gazelles became more nocturnal in areas with higher visitor activity, which led to greater overlap in their activity periods with golden Jackals. Both species were less active when there were more visitors in the park, but jackals were more attracted to disturbed areas, while gazelles avoided them. Furthermore, we found that gazelles' activity was primarily affected by visitor activity compared to environmental factors, study year or predator activity.Policy implications. We show direct and indirect effects of visitors on a predator–prey system and highlight the importance of understanding these impacts to manage protected areas and support human–wildlife coexistence. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to reveal the relationships between nature-based tourists' self-determined travel motivations, ecologically responsible attitudes and subjective well-being within the scope of self-determination theory. Empirical analyses show that there are positive relationships between nature-based tourists' self-determined travel motivations, ecologically responsible attitudes and subjective well-being. The conceptual model was tested using Smart-PLS with 268 valid survey responses. The results of the study showed that there are positive and significant relationships between nature-based tourists' self-determined travel motivation, ecological responsibility attitudes and subjective well-being. Research integrating self-determination theory and nature-based tourism is relatively limited and the results of this study enhance our understanding of the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an integrated model that incorporates the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the social exchange theory (SET) to investigate the Leave No Trace (LNT) behaviour of hikers in Hong Kong. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed to analyse the data of a voluntary survey (n = 374) conducted from December 2019 to June 2020. The results indicate that attitude and subjective norm significantly control intention, which eventually affect LNT participation, as suggested by the TRA. Perceived benefit positively influences attitude, which affects support for LNT intervention, leading to LNT intention, participation, and intensity, as predicted by the SET. LNT participation is significantly correlated with LNT intensity. This study contributes to the knowledge body by offering a new perspective on LNT behaviour of visitors to protected areas. This study also provides a reference for Hong Kong and other cities around the world in managing the sustainability of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature observations are at the core of both nature-based tourism and citizen science. The movement limitations associated with the Covid-19 pandemic have created a window during which tourism nose-dived, but online citizen science platforms flourished primarily through the posting of 'backyard' observations. Beyond citizen science, a return to nature during this period appears to have been important in supporting mental health, especially in city dwellers, and this has resulted in a renewed interest in studying nature appreciation. Here I attempt to bring together these different facets of nature watching research, defined by divergent philosophical underpinning and following different methodologies. I use the findings of tourism and citizen science studies to summarize observer motivations, and place these in a nature appreciation framework. I argue that this framework can be used towards maintaining a balance between diverse goals: reducing observer biases in citizen science, enhancing observer experience in nature-based tourism, and maximizing the therapeutic effects of being exposed to nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa's conservation areas are world-renowned, contributing to local and regional livelihoods. The town of St Lucia is located in the isiMangaliso Wetland Park (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) is an example of a location that is dependent on nature-based tourism. There is limited research concerning the impacts that COVID-19 has on businesses and livelihoods in smaller towns. An examination of the literature and primary data collection (specifically undertaking quantitative surveys with 140 tourism-related businesses) was the methodological approach adopted. The key findings reveal that nature-based businesses have been impacted by the pandemic, especially in relation to disruptions in operations and staff. Most businesses indicated that they would fully recover, although the length of recovery differed. Long-term impacts on the environment and related smaller town economies were identified, with perceptions of the impacts being divergent. Nature-based tourism can be better prepared to deal with disruptions in the future, with adequate and timely support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanical areas under international protection are important for preserving plant and animal ecosystems. Forest ecosystems within Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are essential for preserving biological and species diversity. In AP Vojvodina (Northern Serbia), there are 27 IPAs, totaling 328,208 ha. Fruška Gora National Park (FGNP) territory is under international protection as an IPA. A large part of this park is covered by a forest ecosystem comprising various deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, and grasses. The forest ecosystem in FGNP is rich with natural attractions that are important for hiking, mountaineering, trekking, scientific tourism, wildlife, bird and animal watching, and community tourism. In this article, the authors used a quantitative method of collecting and processing data obtained through survey research. For this research, 610 respondents (325 residents and 285 visitors) were surveyed. Using questionnaires, the respondents expressed their opinions about the tourism potential of FGNP, as well as the satisfaction of tourists with current tourism development. The research results indicate that the forest ecosystem within the FGNP and IPA area has an important potential for the development of nature-based tourism (NbT) and that this tourism form significantly affects not only the satisfaction of the respondents but also increased awareness of the preservation and protection of these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to ascertain Visitors’ satisfaction with services and post-visit behavioural intentions with the Kakum National Park of Ghana and to explore the relationship between the satisfaction dimensions and visitors’ post-visit behavioural intentions. Quantitative methods were used for analysis using the responses of 367 sampled visitors with the aid of questionnaires. The study found that visitors' overall satisfaction and future intentions about the attraction are positive. Irrespective of a positive satisfaction with the attraction, visitors were uncertain about their satisfaction with the prices of services at the attraction. Moreover, visitors suggested that they would not revisit but would recommend the attraction to other patrons. A statistically significant association existed between some dimensions of satisfaction (Tangibles, Price, Reliability, Assurance, and Empathy) and post-visit behavioural intention of visitors at the Kakum National Park at p≤0.05. It is recommended that the price of services at the attraction should be reviewed to balance services at the attraction and managers of KNP should also put up measures to diversify and rejuvenate the attraction to influence the revisit intentions of visitors who visit the attraction.

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.

Scientists agree that as global temperatures rise, the intensity of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon also increases. In southern Africa, El Niño events often cause severe droughts that adversely affect a region's gross domestic product (GDP). However, the impact of El Niño on the tourism industry in this area has not been studied sufficiently. This study examines how frequently El Niño events occur and their consequences on the Victoria Falls resort. It specifically focuses on the potential implications for the regional tourism economy during the 2023–2024 El Niño event. This study critically analyses potential strategies for tourism businesses to enhance their resilience in light of the increasing intensity of El Niño events in the region. Using the Niño 3.4 index, it has been determined that there have been at least four extreme El Niño events since 1980: 1983, 1998, and 2016, and most recently, in 2023/24. Analysis of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and hydrological data from the Victoria Falls hydrological station showed that El Niño events significantly affect water flows at Victoria Falls, negatively impacting the resort's reputation and brand. Examination of tourism statistics reveals that drought often leads to a decline in tourism, negatively affecting tourist resort towns' economies. Given the projected record-low water levels for late 2024, this study recommends implementing improved communication and marketing strategies that highlight low-water activities and other non-water-dependent tourism offerings at the resort to ensure the resilience of the tourism economy. There is an urgent need to promote resorts as year-round destinations to support the climate-resilient tourism sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camping is both an accommodation and an outdoor form of recreation that contributes over $150 billion to the United States economy annually. However, camping seasons have not previously been analyzed due to the lack of high-resolution, daily camping behavioral data. We address this gap applying a phenology algorithm to the analysis of daily camping occupancy data at 25 for-profit campgrounds. Phenology is the field of study that explores natural stages (i.e. seasons and cycles). Doing so, we establish the natural onset and durations of camping seasons. Results indicate that (1) the duration of camping season expanded at most campgrounds in the United States, often corresponding with the early onset of the camping season corresponding with the spring meteorological season, and (2) climate is related to the onset of camping seasons for some but not all campgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal has linked protection of endangered rhinos to nature-based tourism and poverty reduction. Successful anti-poaching and conservation campaigns have resulted in increases in tourist numbers and rhino populations, which in turn have increased incidences of human and rhino casualties in the areas surrounding Chitwan National Park. Thanks to Nepal's National Trust for Nature Conservation, orphaned or injured rhinos are transported to facilities where they can safely recover or mature. This paper suggests the use of a posthuman and symbiotic ethics view of multispecies communities to challenge normative ethical assumptions on animal 'rescue.' It tells the stories of rhinos raised at the NTNC campus, who became celebrities as well as tourist attractions. These rhinos regularly transgressed both human- and other rhino-imposed boundaries. Their stories offer insight into the struggles of wild individuals who find themselves thrust into increasingly anthropogenic areas, and the ways in which rhinos and humans adapt to shared landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based tourism offers several positive effects, including bringing tourists closer to nature and increasing environmental awareness among them, creating new sources of employment, diversifying local and regional economies, promoting the conservation of local ecosystems, and protecting biodiversity. A pilot exercise based on choice experiments is presented to estimate the monetary value per year of nature-based tourism (NbT). The exercise was applied in the Jamapa watershed in Mexico, and the results showed that NbT would amount to USD 7.7 million, with tourism activities linked to agroforestry and USD 5.5 million around regenerative cattle ranching. These results provide input for decision makers in developing public policies to benefit society, nature, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWhile there has been extensive research on resident sentiment towards tourism, few have explored the uniqueness of gateway communities and their relationship to the Protected Areas (PA) surrounding them. This study explores how resident trust of PA managers and support for PAs surrounding their community can spillover to explain additional variance in resident support or opposition to tourism. To test this, traditional antecedents to resident support for tourism, like psychological, social, and political empowerment and the economic benefits from tourism, were modeled independently and in tandem with trust in PA managers and resident support for PAAs. Results from 405 residents of Transylvania County, NC, USA show trust of Pisgah National Forest managers (β = 0.137, p = 0.001) and resident support for the PA influence their support for tourism (β = 0.257, p = 0.001) and explain an additional six percentage points in why residents support tourism within their gateway communities when included in the model. These findings suggest that when evaluating gateway communities’ support for tourism, it is prudent to also include resident perspectives of PAs and how they are managed as resident perspectives of the PA and its management can spillover to their attitudes towards tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tour guides play a central role in the implementation of sustainable tourism practices through maximizing tourists' appreciation and enjoyment of the destination and minimizing their negative impacts. Utilizing Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, this study aims to examine how tour guide performance directly and indirectly predicts tourists' pro-environmental behaviour. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling were used to test a pro-environmental behaviour model using a sample of 396 tourists who visited Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire national parks and Ngorongoro conservation area in northern Tanzania. The results indicated that tour guides positively and significantly influenced tourists' experience, satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviours. Further, tourists' experience is found to positively mediate the relation between tour guide and pro-environmental behaviour. The study presents managerial implications, limitations and future research directions in light of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism in national parks is on the rise and contributes to shaping notions of the non-human world (often depicted as 'nature'). One country that is currently facing a shift towards an enhanced emphasis on tourism in its national parks is Sweden. This article aims to unravel, illuminate, and problematize ways of seeing the non-human world in tourists' Instagram posts about Swedish national parks, and also to consider the productive effects these might have on the relationship between humans and the non-human world. In a discursive and visual cultural analysis, representations of the non-human world, how they are situated in historically inherited ways of seeing, and what implications they might have for how humans approach and understand the non-human world are traced and reflected upon. These representations construct ways of seeing the non-human world as a sublime, desolate, and physically challenging treasury of unique character. In this way, a romantic tourist gaze is constructed, which approaches the national parks as isolated enclaves and commodified havens that offer tourists an escape from humanity, grand views, and seclusion. The main implication of this tourist gaze is a sustaining of the approach to the human world and the non-human world as separated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human disturbance has been shown to provoke physiological and behavioral responses in birds, so nature-based tourism might reduce bird abundance and diversity. The negative consequences of human disturbance might be expected to be maximized during eventual massive events in highly protected areas such as national parks. In this study, the consequences for soundscapes of human presence and disturbance of thousands of visitors during an ornithological fair (massive event) on the bird community of the Monfragüe National Park (Spain) were analyzed. We found that the number and diversity of bird vocalizations did not decrease during the massive event. In contrast, the presence of people in the Monfragüe National Park was associated with an increase in the number and diversity of vocalizations. The effect of human presence on the number of calls and songs differed: the number of calls mainly increased during the massive event when people were present, while the number of songs increased when people were present, particularly during the measurement campaign without the massive event. The human shield hypothesis, along with other behavioral and environmental factors, might potentially explain the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nature‐based tourism provides an outlet for people to experience non‐material nature's contributions to people (NCP) and can even promote care for nature. Yet, the literature on NCP is still dominated by studies on regulating and material NCP, with limited research on non‐material contributions. Semi‐structured interviews and photo‐elicitation methods were conducted online with 38 former tourists who have hiked Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, to investigate NCP experiences during their hiking journey. Drawing on the guiding principles of the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an interwoven approach was used to link context‐specific NCP expressed by tourists to the generalizing perspective. Ten context‐specific non‐material NCP emerged including Aesthetic experiences; Learning and life‐changing perspectives; New and unique experiences; and Social cohesion and bonding. All context‐specific NCP were linked back to the generalizing perspective, with most NCP falling under the generalizing category of Physical and psychological experiences. This paper reveals the unique and diverse ways that nature contributes to people's lives, promoting the visibility of multiple perspectives and their incorporation into biodiversity conservation and sustainable management strategies. Through an interwoven approach, NCP can be compared on a universal scale while respecting the context‐specificity of human–nature interactions across different social‐ecological contexts. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The Palić Nature Park has significant potential in terms of the resource base of sustainable tourism. This resource base forms natural and social motives, which with proper tourism development can contribute to overall sustainability. The subject of research in this work is the resource base that can contribute to the development of sustainable tourism in this protected area. As tourism factors can be of a complementary type, a condition is created for the formation of a unique tourism product. By properly implementing these factors into the tourism offer, and by promoting this destination with its natural and social potential, protection systems can be improved, socio-cultural values can be strengthened and significant economic income can be achieved. A large part of the income can be refinanced into the protection and improvement of the natural and social values of this protected area. At the same time, this constitutes a circular system of sustainable tourism development, in which ecological, economic, socio-cultural and institutional principles of sustainability stand out as important. The qualitative methodology was used in the research. The qualitative methodology included the analysis of various research results, as well as the field examination of resources for the development of sustainable tourism. The results of the research can contribute to the development of planning documents for the development of tourism in the Palić Nature Park and other protected areas.

Weather and climate are vital for Nature-Based Tourism (NBT). Weather influences tourists' experience, while climate affects the timing of the season and attractions. This influence is particularly apparent in southern Africa, which has limited adaptive capacity to climate change. Particularly in Zimbabwe, the NBT industry is dependent on and affected by weather and climatic changes. It is important to investigate how the NBT industry in Zimbabwe is adapting to these changes. Through a qualitative approach, this study examines the adaptation strategies applied by NBT proprietors in four provinces around Zimbabwe, encompassing the major NBT destinations. The results reveal location-specific adaptation strategies. With the current and projected temperature increases and reduction in precipitation, there is a need for urgent adaptive action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]