Assessing the intention of land trust representatives to collaborate with tourism entities to protect natural areas

Abstract

Environmental degradation and dwindling natural areas can negatively impact a destination's image. Nonprofit land trusts have become important organizations in the US conservation movement and elsewhere. Their method of negotiating with landowners to protect land, yet leave the land in private ownership and on the tax rolls, is often popular with the public and local governments. This study explains how land trusts operate. It measured the collaboration potential between land trusts and tourism entities in the US, from the land trust representatives’ point of view, by embedding six propositions considered necessary for collaboration into the theory of planned behavior. An email survey of land trusts in the US yielded 279 usable replies. Approximately 71% of the representatives’ intention to collaborate was accounted for, with opinions of peers (subjective norm) providing the most influence; 64% of the representatives’ attitude toward collaboration was identified. Land trusts were found to be able and willing to provide an efficient, economical method of protecting the landscape, while working with tourism entities that could provide financial support, promotion and increased awareness of the importance of natural areas to both local population and tourists.