Abstract
In the context of national-level strategies, the importance of tourism in national parks is on the rise. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the number of visitors to national parks and five variables: area, number of employees, budget, average employee salary and number of researchers in 12 national parks in the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Analysis of factors influencing the number of visitors to national parks uses the method of retrospective analysis of the data contained in internal documents and questionnaires among managers of national parks. The number of candidate predictors is relatively high when compared with the number of observations. Due to this fact, the Gilmour method for statistical analysis is used. Statistical results represented by the parameter β2 for number of employees is −33,016 (95% CI, −50,592–−15,441) and by the parameter β3 for budget is 0.586 (95% CI, 0.295–0.878), showing that the number of visitors increases with budget, while it decreases with the number of employees. The results of this study are a useful starting point for managers in their efforts to focus on developing key areas in an appropriate way. In conclusion, results show that increasing the economic benefits accruing from national parks regional policy could aim at a qualitative upgrading of tourist services, increased marketing of the unique national park label and the promotion of a diverse regional supply base.
Highlights
Environmental issues—including environment, landscape and natural resource protection—belong among the areas experiencing the most dynamic growth in Europe in recent years
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the number of visitors to national parks and five variables: area, number of employees, budget, average employee salary and number of researchers in 12 national parks in the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria
The aim of this article was to explore determinants influencing the number of visitors to national parkTshienaismeleocfttehdisEaurtriocpleewanasntaotieoxnpalol rpeadrketse.rAmninaalynstissinoffludeentceirnmginthaenntsuminbfleureonfcvinisgitothrse tnounmatbioenr aolf pvairskitsorins tsoenleacttieodnaElupraorpkesaunsendattihoenaml eptharokds.ofArneatrlyossipsecotfivdeeatenramlyisniasnotfs tihneflduaetnacirnegcotrhdeednuinminbeterrnoaf l
Summary
Environmental issues—including environment, landscape and natural resource protection—belong among the areas experiencing the most dynamic growth in Europe in recent years. The concept of national parks is constantly evolving, which is reflected in the national park development strategy (hereafter “strategy”). The strategy works with the ever-changing perceptions of national parks, captures these changes and revises goals for national park development . According to the definition of the EUROPARC Federation (2009), a national park is an area designated for conservation. Policies for national park designation vary from state to state, but the underlying idea is to preserve a valuable piece of nature for future generations [1]. Besides promoting the sentiments of shared heritage and national pride, national parks serve the following purposes: to preserve natural diversity, to preserve the climate of the area, to facilitate scientific research and development, to attract visitors for recreation and tourism and support the economy of the area [2,3]
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