Sustainable ecotourism management and visitor experiences: managing conflicting perspectives in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACTManagement of tourism attractions, including national parks, emphasizes partnership and collaboration among various stakeholders for resource sustainability and visitor satisfaction. Balancing visitor experiences, park resources, and concessionaires’ support for park policy and programs, however, has always been challenging. Past studies have attempted to address issues related to park management/stakeholders, collaboration, partnership, and governance, yet few have examined how differing perspectives of management and service providers (e.g. concessionaires) impact sustainable ecotourism management and visitor experiences. The purpose of this research was to explore perceptions (both similar and dissimilar) of two key stakeholders – park managers and concessionaires inside the park – at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), U.S.A., regarding sustainable ecotourism management and visitor experiences. Twenty-seven park concessionaires and nine management staff responded to a brief questionnaire. Results showed varying areas of agreement and disagreement. While both groups agreed on ecotourism activities and their overall positive impacts, opinions differed on carrying capacity, horse use impact, and visitor conflict issues. Analyzing and discussing these differences from the theoretical perspectives of stakeholder and collaboration theories, the research carries management implications as well as a need for additional research.