Encounter norms in a frontcountry boating area: A case study from the N tter y/Tj me Skerries in southeastern Norway

Abstract

Boating areas in many parts of Norway are subject to increasing use levels. For managers, this raises the question of whether encounters with other boaters influence the boating experience negatively, and to whom encounters do matter. The present study addressed this issue in one of the most popular boating areas in Norway, the Nøtterøy/Tjøme Skerries in the Oslo Fjord. Fifty-seven percent of boaters reported an encounter norm, while 43% stated that encounters do not matter to them when visiting a site in the boating area. Residence, evaluations of social setting attributes, number of days spent in the area during summer, trip length, use level at most-used site, and boating involvement were related to the presence of norms. Those with norms were more likely to rate social and ecological impacts as problems in the area. Boaters who most often visit high-use destinations both preferred and accepted significantly more boats moored nearby at these sites than boaters who most often visit low-use destinations. High-use and low-use destinations, however, were no different with respect to how often boaters visiting these sites experienced preferred or unacceptably high encounter levels.