This research paper addresses the usage of visitor communication and education as a means in protected areas for visitor management in order to raise awareness of the necessity of pro-environmental behaviour and induce low-impact behaviour of visitors. The author analysis the tools already implemented in protected areas and their effectiveness. Findings show that a certain number of visitors obeys these regulations and tools but it varies and is not exercised to the full extent. As there is an increase in technology usage nowadays, the paper analyses to which extent technologies can raise environmental awareness, create pro-environmental behaviour and therefore conserve protected areas. A concept of a web-based technology will be developed and validated in their potential success in creating environmental-friendly visitor behaviour. A prototype for the case of the Jasmund National Park on Rügen is presented in this paper.
Table of Contents
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Abbreviations
- Abstract
- 1 Introduction
- 1.1 Problem definition
- 1.2 Research objectives
- 1.3 Organization
- 2 Theoretical framework
- 2.1 Defining the term protected areas
- 2.2 Tourism effects on protected areas and their environmental consequences
- 2.3 Other challenges in protected areas
- 2.4 Management strategies in protected areas
- 2.4.1 Overview of management strategies
- 2.4.2 Soft visitor management strategies
- 2.4.3 Hard visitor management strategies
- 2.5 Usage and effectiveness of soft visitor management strategies
- 2.6 The process of behaviour creation and influential factors
- 2.6.1 The theory of planned behaviour
- 2.6.2 The model of Ohtomo and Hirose
- 2.6.3 The theory of place attachment
- 2.6.4 Behaviour creation through learning
- 2.7 Summary of the chapter
- 3 Methodology
- 3.1 Approach and data collection method
- 3.2 Inclusion and quality criteria
- 3.3 Evaluating and justification of method choices
- 4 Information and communication technologies
- 4.1 ICT and the tourism sector
- 4.2 The usage of ICTs for sustainable tourism development
- 4.3 The usage of smartphones
- 4.4 Summary of the chapter
- 5 The National Park Guide application
- 5.1 Overview of the concept
- 5.2 Functions of the app
- 5.2.1 The planning function
- 5.2.2 The navigation service
- 5.2.3 The notification service
- 5.2.3.1 Notification content
- 5.2.3.2 Notification requirements
- 5.2.4 The reporting service
- 5.3 Gamification
- 5.4 Goals of the mobile app
- 5.4.1 Raising awareness for environmental needs
- 5.4.2 Inducing behaviour change of visitors
- 5.4.3 Protecting the natural environment
- 5.5 The technology used in the concept
- 5.5.1 Bluetooth-low energy (BLE) and beacons
- 5.5.2 The function of beacons
- 5.5.3 The Beacon technology and the concept
- 5.6 Requirements to achieve the goals
- 5.6.1 The app as a necessity to visit the park
- 5.6.2 Implemented incentives for visitors
- 5.6.3 Promotion of the app
- 5.7 Design
- 5.7.1 User interface
- 5.7.2 Corporate Language
- 5.8 Example of the National Park Guide - Jasmund National Park
- 5.8.1 Environmental challenges in the Jasmund National Park
- 5.8.2 Applied strategies in the park according to literature
- 5.8.3 Applied strategies according to own observations
- 5.8.4 Message Content for Jasmund National Park
- 5.9 Summary
- 6 Findings from the interview
- 7 Discussion
- 7.1 Revision of the research questions
- 7.2 Evaluation of the mobile app concept
- 7.3 Recommended courses of action
- 8 Conclusion
- Appendix
- References
Objectives & Key Themes
This research paper fundamentally aims to provide an understanding of the importance of proper visitor management in protected areas by analyzing tourism impacts and environmental consequences. It seeks to determine how technological inventions can enhance the conservation of protected sites by fostering low-impact visitor behavior, specifically through improved communication and education.
- Visitor management strategies in protected areas.
- Environmental impacts of tourism and visitation.
- Effectiveness of educational and communication tools for behavior change.
- Role and contribution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to sustainable tourism.
- Development of a mobile application concept to promote eco-friendly visitor behavior.
- Case study of Jasmund National Park for prototype validation.
Excerpt from the Book
5.1 Overview of the concept
The National Park Guide can be used by the potential visitor in order to plan holidays and excursions to national parks as the app presents various different routes from all national parks within Germany. The tourist can retrieve more information about the specific national park which they plan to visit by clicking on the selected name of the area. The app provides an overview for tourists about the location and needed time. Therefore, tourists can use the app in order to plan timely and select their routes before they actually visit the national park. When arriving in the location, they check-in via the app and chose their first trail they would like to take. Now, they can decide if they would like to participate in an educational game, as the app incorporates a gamification aspect. Along their hike on their chosen trail, the visitors will receive push notifications on their phone which are distributed via Bluetooth. These push notifications are comprised out of touristic and environmental information. The tourist exposed to the environmental information shall get educated on the connection between environmental-harming behaviour and impacts on the environment. These educational messages shall emotionally engage tourists to question their behaviour. By altering their attitude and behaviour, a protective space wherein ecological processes can be carried without disturbance shall be created. These push notifications contain the answers to the questions in the game. So, if decided to take part in the game, they can select the right answer at the very moment after listening to the push notification. At some time in their hike, tourists might want to take a break and use potentially a picnic area created for these actions. As many tourists might use the same rest area and are not educated well on proper behaviour or have the wrong attitude, problems like dispersed rubbish and food waste might occur. In this case, the visitor shall feel welcomed to use an incorporated function in the app in order to report problems. This incorporated chat function enables the visitor to chat with the national park administration and report detected problems or issues notices by the visitor to the management. After they finished the hike and return back to the point of departure, they check-out of the route and either select another track or leave the park.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the problem of increasing tourism in protected areas, highlights the resulting environmental impacts, and sets the stage for investigating effective visitor management strategies.
2 Theoretical framework: This section defines protected areas, details the environmental consequences of tourism, and explores both hard and soft visitor management strategies, along with psychological theories of behavior creation and influence.
3 Methodology: This chapter outlines the qualitative research approach, including literature review, field observation, and an expert interview, used to gather data and analyze the role of technology in promoting eco-friendly visitor behavior.
4 Information and communication technologies: This chapter examines the transformative impact of ICTs on the tourism sector and their potential for fostering sustainable development, with a specific focus on smartphone applications.
5 The National Park Guide application: This core chapter proposes a mobile application concept designed to mitigate environmental impacts by raising visitor awareness, inducing behavioral change, and protecting natural environments through planning, navigation, notification, gamification, and reporting functions, exemplified by Jasmund National Park.
6 Findings from the interview: This chapter presents the results of an interview with a "Digitize the Planet" manager, emphasizing the critical need for enhanced digital information dissemination and the potential of smartphone applications for visitor education in protected areas.
7 Discussion: This chapter revisits the research questions, evaluates the proposed mobile app concept using a SWOT analysis, and offers recommendations for national park administrations to improve visitor management and communication.
8 Conclusion: This chapter concludes that a mobile app offers a well-designed and effective alternative tool for national park administrations to address communication and education gaps, thereby inducing low-impact visitor behavior and supporting environmental practices.
Keywords
Visitor management, protected areas, environmental behavior, ICT, mobile application, national parks, sustainable tourism, gamification, place attachment, push notifications, Jasmund National Park, conservation, environmental education, low-impact tourism, smartphones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this paper fundamentally about?
This paper fundamentally addresses how visitor communication and education, supported by technology, can be used in protected areas to manage visitors, raise awareness for pro-environmental behavior, and induce low-impact visitor actions.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include the environmental impacts of tourism in protected areas, various visitor management strategies (soft and hard), the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in sustainable tourism, and the development of a mobile application for eco-friendly visitor behavior, with a case study on Jasmund National Park.
What is the primary goal or research question?
The primary goal is to determine if the implementation of a technological invention in protected areas can enhance site conservation by creating low-impact visitor behavior, and the main research questions revolve around implemented strategies, their effectiveness, how technology can enhance environmental-friendly behavior, and how the proposed concept supports low-impact behavior.
Which scientific method is used?
The scientific method used is a qualitative study approach, primarily relying on literature research, field observation, and an expert interview.
What is covered in the main part?
The main part of the paper covers the theoretical framework, detailing protected areas, tourism impacts, management strategies, and behavior creation theories. It also explores information and communication technologies, their usage for sustainable tourism, and introduces the National Park Guide mobile application concept in detail, including its functions, goals, and the technology used.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Keywords characterizing the work include visitor management, protected areas, environmental behavior, ICT, mobile application, national parks, sustainable tourism, gamification, place attachment, push notifications, Jasmund National Park, conservation, environmental education, low-impact tourism, and smartphones.
What is the proposed concept for visitor management?
The proposed concept is a mobile application called "The National Park Guide" that allows visitors to plan routes, navigate, receive location-based educational push notifications, participate in gamified activities, and report problems, all aimed at fostering environmental-friendly behavior.
How does gamification contribute to the app's goals?
Gamification in the app enhances emotional connection to the protected area and increases learning abilities by providing incentives (achievement points/medals) for engaging with educational content and correctly answering questions related to environmental practices.
What technology is essential for the mobile app's functionality?
Bluetooth-low energy (BLE) and beacons are essential technologies for the app's functionality, enabling location-based push notifications to visitors' smartphones within the national park.
Which national park is used as a case study for the prototype?
The Jasmund National Park on Rügen island in Germany is used as the specific example and case study for developing and illustrating the prototype of the National Park Guide application.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Vivian Rinza (Autor:in), 2021, Visitor management in protected areas, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1674631
