Development Of Nature-based Tourism Research Articles

The Bureaucratization of Collaborative Governance in Realizing Tourism Villages during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Winduaji Village, Paguyangan Brebes

The development of nature-based tourism that can be used as a way of empowering rural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be a solution to improve the economic conditions of the community. The problem is that the village does not have the same perspective in developing nature-based tourism villages. As a result of this, various problems arise in the development of natural tourism. This study aims to analyze the collaborative governance process in building tourist villages, their problems, and solutions. The research method is descriptive qualitative, with the process of collecting data through in-depth interviews, observations, and FGDs. The results showed that collaboration between stakeholders often leads to horizontal conflicts, awareness of the COVID-19 process is difficult to build in tourism development, and collaborative governance is more bureaucratic. This research can conclude that the development of nature-based tourism is a solution during the COVID-19 pandemic, but building public awareness of the importance of COVID-19 health protocols in tourism services is an obstacle. In addition, the bureaucratization of the collaboration process of governance hinders the development of natural tourism.
 Keywords: tourism village, collaborative governance, COVID-19 pandemic

Evaluation of sustainable development indicators of nature-based tourism in developed and developing countries

Understanding the approach of developed countries to the sustainable development of nature-based tourism (NBT) can be a model for developing countries. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the differences of opinion from different aspects. This study aimed to highlight the differences between the attitudes of experts in developing and developed countries on sustainable development indicators of NBT.‏ ‏Given that no such comparison has been made so far, this study intends to address this gap. Indicators were identified from three aspects: economic, social, and environmental, and they were approved through the use of the Delphi approach. The mean scores were determined based on a 7-point Likert scale and compared using an independent t-test. In developing countries, economic indicators (Mean = 5.779) and in developed countries, environmental indicators (Mean = 6.296) were the most crucial. Paying more attention to environmental indicators in developing countries can be an excellent way to improve the sustainable development of NBT.

Contemporary development of nature-based tourism – characteristics and study aspects

Nature-based tourism is a type of tourism that is primarily concerned with the direct enjoyment of relatively undisturbed natural phenomena. Today, it is among the types of tourism which are characterised by significant growth rates at the global level. It has considerable growth potential and its development can concurrently ensure tourist satisfaction with the nature experience, profit for tourism providers, funds for environmental protection and an improvement in living standards in local communities. Nevertheless, it is also important to be aware of the potential negative implications of nature-based tourism development and to continuously manage all aspects of sustainability. This paper aims to determine the main study aspects of nature-based tourism, the most common methodological approaches and the most important characteristics of its contemporary development. For this purpose, an analysis of recent empirical research on nature-based tourism was conducted, and a total of 41 original scientific papers were included in the analysis. The four study aspects derived from this analysis contribute to determining the general characteristics of nature-based tourism's contemporary development, the prerequisite factors for this development, and the effects it has on a given area.

Key factors of nature-based tourism future development in less-developed nature destinations: Case study: Ardabil province of Iran

The study examines key factors influencing nature-based tourism (NBT) development in less-developed nature destinations, selecting Ardabil province of Iran as a case study. It employed a qualitative approach involving fifteen semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. The study identified seven factors contributing to the development of NBT: tourism development requirements, new managerial initiatives, political support and planning, democratic approach, destination management, sustainability and awareness. The study highlights the importance of sustainability in shaping the future of NBT, which must be considered in policymaking and planning and environmental and climate change impact management. The study recommends knowledge circulation for effective future-based planning. The findings provide valuable insight into the factors required for NBT development at macro and micro levels and can assist DMOs and policymakers of less-developed nature destinations better underrated NBT destination management, allowing them to be better prepared for the future.

Stakeholder perceptions of climate change threats to the Zimbabwean nature-based tourism sector

Nature-based tourism relies heavily on the weather and climatic conditions experienced at a specific destination. Weather influences the activities that tourists can take part in during their stay, their enjoyment of the vacation, and likelihood of returning to a destination. Adverse weather can result in cancellations or curtailed trips. Climate influences the distribution of the natural resources that promote nature-based tourism and the timing of peak tourist arrivals. Zimbabwean nature-based tourism is particularly reliant on these factors for the continued survival and development of nature-based tourism, yet vulnerable to the above-average rates of climatic warming and heightened frequency of drought events. This paper explores the perceptions of both tourism operators and tourists regarding climate change threats through thematic and content analysis of semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires conducted in the four major nature-based destinations in Zimbabwe. The results confirm that the respondents are concerned about climate change in the study area. Most of these concerns stemmed from their specific environmental contexts; threats of drought and water scarcity were highlighted in destinations located in the Lowveld, while concerns of tropical cyclones were raised for destinations in the Highveld. The tourists' and operators’ perceptions of climate change threats were similar, as they both expressed concerns over the temperatures increases, reduction in precipitation and the occurrences of weather hazards.

Assessing recreation specialization to guide nature-based tourism development: A hybrid choice model of birder destination preferences

Birding is a growing nature-based tourism activity, and a better understanding of birder preferences could support tourism development and species conservation. Using a hybrid choice modeling approach, we analyzed birding destination preferences and how they vary by recreation specialization. This approach allows a continuum of specialization rather than allocating birders into discrete segments. A sample of 205 birders recruited in the 2017 summer season in Varanger, Norway, completed an online choice experiment with scenarios that included five systematically-varied destination attributes: Birding quality, bird diversity, landscape scenic quality, facilitation (e.g., trails and specialized guides), and a visitor fee. The hybrid choice (HC) model explained preference heterogeneity better than the attributes only multinomial logit (MNL) or random parameters logit (RPL) models. Birding quality, landscape scenery, and a medium level of facilitation were significant predictors in all models, while high bird diversity was significant only in the RPL and HC models. Interaction terms in the HC model indicated that birding quality, bird diversity, and the highest level of facilitation (specialized guides and birding hides) were more important for “more specialized” birders than for “less specialized” birders. Findings allow destinations to target birder segments more deliberately, while also assisting in planning and management decisions. Main drivers of birder destination choice are innate in the natural landscapes and ecosystems; exceptional birding quality and spectacular scenery were the strongest determinants of birding destination choice in our study. More specialized birders place higher priority on bird diversity, and birding facilitation. Less specialized birders might need a larger variety of facilitation and non-birding offers. Our results also indicate that those visiting spectacular but vulnerable nature destinations are willing to pay moderate fees for conservation and management. Fee revenue can fund site hardening facilities and services, allowing for more visitors without increasing pressure on the wildlife.

Nature-based tourism as therapeutic landscape in a COVID era: autoethnographic learnings from a visitor’s experience in Iceland

One of the few silver linings in the COVID pandemic has been a new appreciation for, interest in, and engagement with nature. As countries open, and travel becomes accessible again, there is an opportunity to reimagine sustainable nature-based tourism from a therapeutic landscape lens. Framed within the therapeutic landscape concept, this paper provides an autoethnographic account of a visitor’s experience of three different natural landscapes in Iceland shortly after the country’s fourth wave of the pandemic. It adds to the understanding of the healing effects of the multi-colored natural landscapes of Iceland. The natural landscapes of interest herein include: the southern part of the Westfjörd peninsula, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, and the Central Highlands. In totality, the natural, built and symbolic environments worked in synchronicity to produce three thematic results: restoration, awe and concern, all which provided reduced stress, renewed attention, as well as enhanced physical and psycho-social benefits for the autoethnographic visiting researcher. Implications of these restorative outcomes for sustainable nature-based tourism in a post-COVID era are discussed. This paper highlights how health and tourism geographers can work collaboratively to recognize, protect, and sustain the therapeutic elements of natural landscapes, recognized as a cultural ecosystem service. In so doing, such collaborations can positively influence sustainable nature-based tourism development and consumption through proper and appropriate planning and development of such tourism destinations.

Perception of the Impacts of Tourism by the Administrations of Protected Areas and Sustainable Tourism (Un)Development in Slovakia

Sustainable tourism development within protected areas has been a subject of interest for professionals. The effective development of nature-based tourism can be beneficial to both the environment and people. This work presents the results of research on the positive and negative impacts of tourism in protected areas of Slovakia as perceived by the administrations of individual protected areas of the country. Subsequently, the paper highlights the major issues affecting sustainable tourism development in protected areas in Slovakia, based on a review of recent legislation and strategic documents. The results of the study indicate that the status of a large-scale protected area does not play a role in the perception of the impact of tourism. The most significant impacts of tourism in protected areas, according to their administrations’ perceptions, include an increase in waste production, informing local people about the value of the natural and cultural heritage, the education of visitors, the conflict of interest in using natural resources when doing business in a protected area, and the destruction of natural habitats. However, when linking the impacts of tourism to sustainable tourism development in these areas, current Slovak legislation does not allow for the sufficient development of nature-based tourism in protected areas in Slovakia. In this regard, appropriate measures are required to positively change the recent situation in this field.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Nature-Based Tourism, Scenario Planning Approach (Case Study of Nature-Based Tourism in Iran)

The development of nature-based tourism is one of the most critical sectors of tourism, which is influenced by various economic, socio-cultural, and environmental factors. The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced all sectors of tourism, including nature-based tourism. The purpose of this article is to identify the key drivers affecting the development of nature-based tourism and analyze future scenarios of nature-based tourism in Iran based on the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Micmac and ScenarioWizard software programs were used to analyze the research findings. Many factors affect the development of nature-based tourism in Iran, which fall into two human and natural factors groups. Five factors are the key drivers influencing the development of nature-based tourism in Iran: national, regional and globaly safety (F2); economic stability (F8); private sector participation (F9), human crises such as diseases, wars, etc. (F16); national and international advertising (national and international (F17); and travel costs (F19). According to the future of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research results show that a total of 10 scenarios for the future of nature-based tourism in Iran are conceivable, which are presented in three groups.

EKOWISATA BERBASIS KONSERVASI BEKANTAN

Proboscis monkey is mascot animal of South Borneo that is going through population decrease and considered as endangered animal. There is required effort with aim to preserving these animals. One of the conservation programs that can be implemented is nature based-tourism development with proboscis monkey as the object. In order to support this program, a proboscis monkey conservation based-ecotourism is designed with aim to educate about importance of proboscis monkey preservation. The designed object spread on two points, that is Muara Kanoco Village and Curiak Island that had been appointed by SBI as ecotourism area. This ecotourism emphasize on educative concept with human-nature symbiosis method. Educative concept is making the nature as learning space, while human-nature symbiosis is making human and nature have a good reciprocal relationship..

Sustainable Tourism in Cities—Nature Reserves as a ‘New’ City Space for Nature-Based Tourism

Visible trends in city tourism related to the development of sustainable tourism clearly imply an increase in the significance of green areas and the development of nature-based tourism. Natural areas in cities that ideally fit the assumptions of sustainable tourism are nature reserves—areas where protection of the valuable environment is a priority. This paper aims to highlight that nature reserves are green spots in cities that can be excellent sites for sustainable tourism. The choice of big cities was dictated by the fact that they have the highest requirement for recreational green spaces due to a high concentration of tourist traffic in historic city centres and a clearer need for sustainable forms of tourism. Sixteen nature reserves in five big Polish cities with a population of more than 100,000: Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznań, Toruń, and Warsaw were selected for the study. Field surveys were carried out in nature reserves to see whether basic tourism facilities providing information about nature, supporting education, and conservation of the natural environment existed in the publicly available areas of such reserves. The attractiveness of nature reserves to tourists and their suitability for developing sustainable tourism was evaluated through score-based valuation of the reserves. The valorisation index was used for a synthetic rating and classification of the reserves in terms of attractiveness. The results of surveys imply a possibility of using selected nature reserves in cities for developing sustainable forms of active tourism—in particular hiking and cycling, educational tourism and daily recreational activities of city residents. The sites in question can be regarded as attractive ecotourism products, and as such hold the potential to become a popular destination among tourists and eco-tourists in particular.

Predeo izuzetnih odlika "Vršacke planine" u funkciji razvoja turizma

Protected areas can be important destinations for tourism development because they contribute to economic, environmental and cultural development. In the phase of planning the development of a protected area as a tourism destination, it is important to consider all the possibilities, opportunities, strengths, weaknesses and dangers of tourism implementation, which should be the basic task of management processes. The Outstanding Natural Landscapes " Vrsacke Pianine " has significant potential for tourism development. Within this area, there are numerous natural and anthropogenic motives, important for the development of tourism. Favorable geographical location, proximity to major cities in Serbia and the border with Romania, are significant potentials for tourism development in this protected area. In the research in this paper, a quantitative method was used. A total of 250 visitors to this tourism destination was interviewed using the questionnaire survey technique with the help of a questionnaire as a research instrument, the method of random selection. Visitors answered questions about the potential for tourism development of this protected area. The analysis of the respondents ' answers concludes that this area has a significant extent of natural factors that contribute to the development of nature-based tourism, such as bird and animal sightseeing, nature photography, health tourism, recreation, science tourism and trips. In addition, the visitors recognized the importance of sociocultural factors that are important for the development of cultural forms of tourism.

Ĉija je odgovornost? - evaluacija održivog razvoja turizma na Balatonu

Organisations play an important role in creating well-being of society and the environment. The main objective of the study is to map perspectives on sustainability among selected stakeholder groups including tourists/temporary visitors, local communities, and public and private decision-making professionals (public, non-profit, and for-profit) in the Lake Balaton region. The study is based on a combined methodology. First, insights from tourists and local residents were collected in a quantitative survey. Insights about sustainable tourism development from public, non-profit and for-profit tourism industry professionals were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results show that from an environmental perspective sustainable tourism represents nature-based tourism development. As regards a profit/economic perspective, buying local products and choosing locally owned restaurants, local markets play a significant role in the region. Differences in consumption patterns among locals and visitors are reflected in the lower need for off-season tourism offer. Interviewed stakeholders recognized the need for knowledge sharing and attitude forming.

Cultural ecosystem services for development of nature-based tourism in Bulgaria

The rich and diverse Natural Heritage of Bulgaria is a prerequisite for the development of nature- based tourism (NBT) of a new type. The research is carried out by the implementation of the ecosystem approach. The results include an assessment of the natural heritage capacity to provide goods and services for the development of NBT in the Tourist Regions (TR) of Bulgaria. The results show the spatial distribution of the natural heritage sites in all nine TR in Bulgaria and their natural capacity for development of different types of NBT. There are only 37 municipalities out of 265 with not a one Natural Heritage (NH) site, and all the rest have natural resources to develop NBT. The results can be of use for the achievement of the goals for sustainable tourism by assessment of the capacity to provide recreation ecosystem services (RES).

The role of seasonality in assessments of conflict tendency between tourism development and ecological preservation in protected areas: The case of protected areas in China

Conflict management in PAs (Protected Areas) is becoming increasingly important in the context of the rapid development of nature-based tourism. Literature proposes the Index of Conflict tendency between Tourism development and ecological Protection (ICTP) to analyze the tendency of conflict from a spatial perspective, but this index does not consider the factor of seasonality which is important in tourism. The current study considers seasonality and proposes the CVD (Coverage- Variation- Duration) framework to conduct a spatio-temporal analysis of the ICTP. The applied research based on the case of China's V–PAs (a specific category of PAs) reflects that the CVD framework can describe the spatial distribution of the ICTP from a seasonal perspective. The study finds that, among V–PAs in China, 42.16% of the areas with high ICTP of V–PAs have obvious seasonal variations, which shows that PAs conflict management must incorporate the factor of seasonality. The study also shows that 8.98% of V–PAs have large-scale coverage of areas with high ICTP, revealing priorities for conflict management. 3.96% of V–PAs have large-scale coverage of areas with high ICTP showing seasonal changes. Management in these areas should pay attention to seasonal changes to become more effective. The CVD framework proposed in this paper is operable and extendable and can provide analytical tools for PAs conflict management, and promote ecological protection and more sustainable tourism development in PAs.

The use of 360-degree virtual tours to promote mountain walking tourism: stimulus–organism–response model

Based on the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) theory, this study attempts to investigate how the use of 360-degree virtual mountain walking tours can motivate audiences’ intention to take a real walking in the mountains. The survey results from 320 samples after watching a 360-degree virtual video reveal the positive influence of vividness (stimulus) on presence, emotional involvement, flow state, and enjoyment (organism), leading to the intention to take mountain walking tourism (response). This study also examines the interrelationship between four organism variables to explain the underlying mechanism of 360-degree virtual travel experience in stimulating audiences’ visit intention. It shows how technology helps the development of nature-based tourism. It also offers implications for developers to develop influential 360-degree virtual tourism and destination marketers to promote mountain walking tourism.

Functional diversity outperforms taxonomic diversity in revealing short-term trampling effects

Alpine grasslands harbor diverse groups of flora and fauna, provide important ecosystem functions, and yield essential ecosystem goods and services, especially for the development of nature-based tourism. However, they are experiencing increasing anthropogenic perturbations such as tourist trampling. Although negative effects of tourist trampling on alpine vegetation have been frequently reported, previous studies have focused mainly on changes in taxonomic diversity after trampling, and rarely provide a mechanistic elucidation of trampling effects from a trait-based perspective. The present study evaluates the impacts of simulated trampling on taxonomic and functional diversity of a typical alpine grassland community in Shangri-La, China using a standardized protocol. The results showed that although taxonomic diversity was not statistically significantly affected by trampling, some functional attributes responded rapidly to trampling disturbance. Specifically, functional divergence decreased with an increase in trampling intensity, and characteristics of community-weighted mean trait values changed towards shorter species with reduced leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content. Such strong shifts in functional attributes may further affect ecosystem goods and services provided by alpine grasslands. Our inclusion of functional diversity in the analysis thus adds an important caution to previous studies predominantly focusing on taxonomic diversity, and it is urgent to keep alpine grasslands well managed and ecologically coherent so that their valuable functions and services can be safeguarded.

Delivering Benefits from State Forest: Lesson from Partnership of Nature-Based Tourism Development in KPH Yogyakarta

While many studies have examined Forest Management Unit or Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan (KPH) management in Indonesia, studies that focused on specific partnership policies in developing nature-based tourism in KPH remain understudied. This study offered a case of partnership in nature-based tourism development in the Mangunan area, KPH Yogyakarta, Indonesia. To understand to what degree the partnership benefits locals and forest areas, a triangulationapproach includes secondary data collection, interviews, and field observations were employed. In the case considered, it is evident that the deliberative policies of KPH Yogyakarta foster social innovations in nature-based tourism development and serve the pathway in delivering simultaneous benefits for locals and forest areas. In drawing its conclusion, the study highlights that the nature-based tourism development in the Mangunan area has fostered locals’ roles in managing state-forest areas by which they generate numerous benefits. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights that would allow us to better grasp the positive impacts of innovative policies in managing KPH.Keywords: forest management unit, nature-based tourism, social forestry

Land cover along hiking trails in a nature tourism destination: the Azores as a case study

Tourists have become increasingly interested in certain aspects of their destination, including landscape and biodiversity elements, thereby promoting the development of nature-based tourism. The Azores are considered a sustainable tourism destination, with various natural attractions, including hiking trails. Based on the hypothesis that natural vegetation/forest might have a relevant role as a tourist attraction along trails, we performed a quantitative GIS-based analysis to determine the predominant types of land cover found along hiking trails in the Azores. Different statistical approaches indicated that agriculture/pastureland dominated land cover along most trails and that land cover distribution was correlated with global land cover partitioning in the respective island. A reduced number of trails showed a distinct land cover, intersecting areas of natural vegetation/forest. Therefore, we concluded that land cover across hiking trails in this nature tourism destination was dominated by a humanized landscape, which raises questions regarding the more adequate tourist interpretation strategy to adopt in the Azores.

Developing the Nature based Tourism in Minia Governorate: An Analysis of Tourism Potentials and Constraints

Nature-based tourism is an important component of the tourism industry in the world and its features vary from one destination to another. However, nature-based tourism destinations are not appropriately developed due to structural and operational difficulties related to local planning. In the Minia governorate, the location, quantity, and quality of natural resources and their required infrastructure for tourism development have not been well documented. So, this paper identified the potentials and problems which face the governmental authorities in developing and promoting nature-based tourism. Moreover, the nature based tourism activities that are most suitable to be developed in the Minia governorate have been determined. The collected data depended on in-depth interviews depended on questionnaires with governmental authorities related to nature based tourism development in Minia governorate and the main branches of these authorities in Cairo. These interviews were undertaken from February to April 2020. Analysis of these interviews explained that Minia governorate has many natural attractions for developing nature-based tourism activities. On the other hand, it illustrated three main issues constraining the development of nature-based tourism. These obstacles are lacking adequate financial resources, lacking coordination and overlapping of competencies between the authorities responsible for the development of nature-based tourism, and lacking tourist awareness of the importance of nature-based tourism development.