Tourism has been utilising global biodiversity for a relatively long time. In many countries, such as Finland and South Africa, biodiversity forms an increasingly important resource for tourism. The mutual and sometimes conflicting relation between biodiversity and tourism is clearly evident in conservation areas. The importance of National Parks, for example, is highlighted by the protection and conservation of biodiversity through ecotourism to retain visitors while increasing experiences: it is apparent that a more diverse and unique destination would have greater appeal to all visitors. However, the increasing interest also creates impacts to environment, visitor‟s experiences and management needs. This research examines and determines the tangible level of importance of biodiversity in Oulanka National Park in Finland compared to Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa with the added effects on visitor experiences. Apart from the tangible level, this research also examines the affects of biodiversity richness on visitor experiences and perceptions regarding nature management regulations at Oulanka and Golden Gate. This is determined through various biodiversity attributes with visitors specifying the importance regarding the richness of plants, habitats, wildlife, birdlife and unspoilt nature and biodiversity hotspots. More than three quarters of respondents specified that their relationships regarding biodiversity and experiences are strongly connected thereby indicating the role and importance of biodiversity in Oulanka National Park and Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Findings also illustrate respondents‟ views on nature management regulations of the national parks and together with the known role of biodiversity, suggest the way forward for Oulanka and Golden Gate through ecotourism and a Biodiversity Tourism Management Guidelines (BTMG) framework. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Tourism Management / unrestricted

Included in this thesis are two papers describing companion studies which employed complementary methodologies to study the issue of how Acadia National Park might balance resource protection efforts and maintain quality visitor experiences on the summit of Cadillac Mountain. In the first study, stated choice analysis was used to assess visitors' preferences for alternative combinations of public access, resource protection, visitor regulation, and site hardening to manage the Cadillac Mountain summit. Results suggest that visitors consider resource protection to be a priority and are willing to accept regulation of their behavior onsite, reinforced with the use of moderately to highly intensive management structures, but generally don't support limiting public access to the summit to achieve resource protection objectives. In the second study, qualitative interviews were conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of visitor experiences on the summit of Cadillac Mountain and how site management actions designed to achieve resource protection objectives might affect visitors' experiences. Respondents indicated that the summit of Cadillac Mountain is a centerpiece of Acadia National Park, and their experiences of the mountain summit are centered around the aesthetics and naturalness of Cadillac Mountain. Several factors emerged as influencing whether site management actions are deemed appropriate by visitors and perceived to affect visitors' experiences. In particular, site management structures that were perceived to blend in with the surroundings, be constructed of natural materials and protect vegetation were considered appropriate and of little consequence to visitors' experiences. Some study participants also suggested that site management structures that provide visitors with the opportunity to freely demonstrate their choice to help protect vegetation and soils can enhance visitors' experiences. In contrast, site management structures and actions perceived as being regulatory, confining, or limiting opportunities for visitors to choose to help protect vegetation resources were considered less appropriate and more likely to negatively affect visitors' experiences. / Master of Science

Several studies in the field of outdoor recreation management and planning have used computer simulation modeling to demonstrate its utility as a tool to help managers monitor encounters and similar visitor use-related indicators of quality. However, previous applications of computer simulation modeling to outdoor recreation planning and management have generally done little to assess the reliability, or precision, of model estimates. The purpose of this research is to explore several questions concerning the reliability of computer simulation model estimates for monitoring wilderness solitude-related indicators of quality. In particular, can reliable estimates of solitude-related indicators be generated for low use recreation environments, such as backcountry and wilderness areas? Is there a spatial component to questions about the reliability of computer simulation estimates for low use visitor landscapes? The research presented in this thesis examines the reliability of computer simulation estimates of wilderness solitude indicators that account for the timing and location of hiking and camping encounters in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This study was designed to model visitor use and inter-group encounters in the Cosby and Big Creek areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which are located within the park's proposed wilderness area. Two primary types of information about visitor use in the study area were collected to construct the computer simulation model in this study. First, information was gathered about the amount of visitation to the study area; second, information was collected about visitors' travel routes within the study area. Three alternative methods were used to estimate the number of replications needed to obtain desired levels of precision for the visitor-based and spatially based computer simulation model outputs. The results suggest that computer simulation models of visitor use can generate precise estimates for a small to moderate number of visitor-based and spatially-based outputs. However, there are constraints to generating precise estimates of use-related outputs as the number of outputs estimated simultaneously becomes large. This challenge is particularly pronounced in cases where at least some of the outputs are derived for low use attractions, trails, or camping locations. / Master of Science

Les recherches multiculturelles en management prévalent sur les organisations à but lucratif, tandis que les études interculturelles sur les zones naturelles protégées constituent encore un domaine relativement peu exploité. Cette thèse propose des modèles interculturels adaptés (issus du modèle existant de Hofstede, complétés des concepts appartenant aux domaines du marketing et du management) pour l’analyse de la gestion de parcs et des expériences des visiteurs vécues au sein des parcs naturels européens (protégés). Parmi les différentes méthodes utilisées, les plus pertinentes s’avèrent être la conduite d’entretiens semi-directifs avec des dirigeants de parcs et l’enquête effectuée auprès des visiteurs, tandis que l’analyse de documents et les observations complètent nos résultats. À partir de nos analyses sur la gestion des parcs, les parties prenantes, les activités outdoor et les expériences des visiteurs, nous concluons que les différences culturelles influencent à la fois la gestion du parc et les expériences des visiteurs, mais d’une façon distincte. Bien que les différences culturelles soient constatées entre les visiteurs français et hongrois, leurs modes de consommation montrent des signes de facteurs internationaux/globaux, tandis que le choix des activités physiques et des caractéristiques démographiques s’avèrent également façonner les expériences des visiteurs. Les opérations et les directions de la gestion des parcs ont également confirmé être influencées par les différences culturelles dans une plus large mesure, bien qu’elles soient aussi déterminées par les caractéristiques géographiques des sites naturels. Cependant, les considérations managériales sont aussi liées au comportement du visiteur, au contexte législatif et aux caractéristiques géographiques du site. / Cross-cultural investigations in management prevail over those on for-profit organizations, while intercultural studies on protected natural areas is a relatively untapped field of research. This thesis proposes cross-cultural models (adapted from the existing model of Hofstede, along with marketing and management concepts) for the analysis of the park management and visitor experiences at (protected) European natural parks. Among the various methods used, the most relevant were the semi-directed interviews with actors of the park management and the visitor survey, while document analysis and observations also completed our findings. Using our analysis of the park management, stakeholders, physical activities, and visitor experiences, we concluded, that cultural differences influence both the park management and visitor experiences, though, in different ways. While cultural differences were found between the French and Hungarian visitors, their recreational consumption patterns show signs of international/global considerations, whereas the choice of physical activities and demographic characteristics also proved to shape visitor experiences. In turn, operations and directions of park management were confirmed to be affected by cultural differences to a larger extent, while these were also influenced by the geographical characteristics of the natural sites. However, managerial considerations were found to be interrelated with the visitors’ behavior, the legislative background and the geographical features of the area.

There has been increased attention given in the tourism literature to experiential perspectives of tourism. This thesis addresses the lack of attention in previous experiential studies to the relationship between heritage buildings and tourism. Specifically, this thesis explores the influence of heritage buildings in shaping international tourists' experiences of a particular region of New Zealand: Hawke's Bay. This research sought insight into the specific attributes of heritage buildings that influenced the experiences of international tourists visiting the region, and examined the relative importance of heritage buildings for international tourism to Hawke's Bay, as perceived by international tourists visiting the region. In this way, results are assumed in the personal constructs of individual consumers (Beeho Prentice, 1997; Prentice, Witt Hamer, 1998; McIntosh Siggs, 2005). An increased understanding of the relationship between heritage buildings and tourism is essential in strengthening support for preservation, for product development and promotion. A mixed-methodology comprising of 50 semi-structured interviews, 66 photograph-supported interviews and 354 structured questionnaires was adopted. Hawke's Bay's heritage buildings were found to have an important influence on tourists' experiences of the region, visually and as part of the narratives of their reported experiences. Attributes of Hawke's Bay's heritage buildings that influenced tourists' experiences of the region included their architecture, exterior and interior design, colour, history and associated stories. Furthermore, the interviews elicited three key experiential themes that emerged from respondents' narratives of their experiences in Hawke's Bay. They are; 'visual appeal', 'personal reflections' and 'engaging experiences'. Specifically, it was found that a townscape is not a passive space. Heritage buildings render the townscape an experiential place filled with emotion, mindfulness, engagement, and imbued with personal meaning. Visitors in effect created their own experiences through their active interaction with the environment; rendering it relevant to a context they were personally interested in, or which held personal significance for them. Analysis of the questionnaires revealed that, as perceived by international tourists, heritage buildings are important to a region; a significant proportion of respondents indicated that they would theoretically be willing to pay some money to ensure the preservation of Hawke's Bay's heritage buildings. This thesis evidences the important relationship between heritage buildings and tourism, and future research is advocated to advance upon the conclusions made in this research.