The relationship among tourists’ involvement, place attachment and interpretation satisfaction in Taiwan’s national parks

Proponents of ecotourism within protected areas believe that tour design and interpretation can help mitigate the negative impacts of tourism, human and environmental, and build an educated and motivated constituency that supports environmental conservation and social improvements. However, ecotourism's claims to achieve those objectives are largely untested, and linkages between tourism's operational characteristics and positive changes in tourists” environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are largely unexplored. This exploratory research investigated the efforts of one Galapagos National Park tour operator to explore whether a well-conceived interpretation/ecotourism product could influence tourists” educational outcomes and support of environmental conservation. Results suggest that well-designed and delivered interpretation during the ecotourism experience can increase knowledge of the host-protected area, supportive attitudes towards resource management issues facing the host-protected area,...

Can ecotourism interpretation really lead to pro-conservation knowledge, attitudes and behaviour? Evidence from the Galapagos Islands.

A study which tested the effectiveness of an education programme for managing tourists was conducted at Tangalooma, Australia. At this holiday resort tourists are able to hand-feed a group of wild dolphins which visit the shallow waters adjacent to the resort's beach. The education programme, which uses techniques derived from cognitive psychology and learning theory, attempted to prompt increased enjoyment, knowledge and improved environmental attitudes, intentions and behaviour in participants. The study, which compared a control group who were not exposed to the education with an experiment group who were, found that desirable changes did occur as a result of the programme. This research provides much needed evidence that education can be an effective means of managing tourists' interaction with wildlife and the natural environment © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Effectiveness of Environmental Education: Can We Turn Tourists into 'Greenies'?

The influence of distance and prices on the choice of tourist destinations: the moderating role of motivations.

The real estate market consistently demonstrates that many people are willing to pay a larger amount for a property located close to a park than for a house that does not offer this amenity. The hi...

The Impact of Parks on Property Values: A Review of the Empirical Evidence

Interpretation of Cultural and Natural Resources

Area Preferences of Midwestern Campers

The purpose of this research is to document changes in attitudes as a result of expospre to interpretive messages, thereby gaining insight into the benefits received by agencies that use interpretation as a management tool. Fishbein's value expectancy model was used to measure attitudes of entering and exiting visitors at the Petawawa National Forestry Institute's Visitor Center. Mean attitude scores of exiting visitors were more favorable (from the agency perspective) than scores for entering visitors for five of the seven topics dealt with in 1982. In 1983, exiting scores were more favorable for three out of the four topics. The application of this method as an evaluation tool and policy considerations are discussed.?

Douglas M. Knudson

Papers

Interpretation of Cultural and Natural Resources

Area Preferences of Midwestern Campers

Attitude Changes as a Result of Exposure to Interpretive Messages

Naturalists and the Mass Media: Reaching beyond the Parks

The Influence of Advertising on Attendance at Park Programs