Visitor experience in Kafue National Park, Zambia

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brijesh Thapa ◽  
Joohyun Lee
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Visitor Experience

scholarly journals "It Felt Like Walking Through A Night Sky": Managing the Visitor Experience During Biologically-Based Nighttime Events

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cait M. Henry ◽  
Jeffrey C. Hallo ◽  
Michael Blacketer ◽  
Matthew T.J. Brownlee ◽  
William C. Norman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Outdoor Recreation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Novelty Seeking ◽  
Natural Phenomena ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Congaree National Park ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Visitor Perceptions ◽  
Visitor Experiences

Nighttime activities and events specifically related to natural phenomena are becoming increasingly popular. As nighttime recreation in parks and protected areas increases, managers must implement policies and frameworks that maintain both the visitor experience and natural darkness and soundscapes. The Congaree National Park Fireflies Festival celebrates the annual fireflies mating season, and after national renown for this event the park has witnessed increased visitation. Over the past year, visitation rates have forced management to implement a designated trail to enhance the visitor experience while reducing crowding on the boardwalk and manage the natural phenomena more like a festival event than an outdoor recreation opportunity. Visitor perceptions of these actions are currently unknown. Therefore, this study examined visitor motivations for attending the event and their perceptions of crowding to distinguish whether festival attendees had higher tolerances of crowding at a nature-based event within a national park. This study implemented an online survey and phone interviews to distinguish what factors at the Fireflies Festival bolster or degrade visitor experiences and to gauge perceptions of current and future management actions. Moreover, this study sought to understand visitor motivations to attend BBNEs and employed the novelty-seeking and event (festival) motivations scales. This study expands on night recreation research and fills in some of the literature gap on nighttime event management in a national park setting.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in Visitor Satisfaction and Its Management Implications in Banff National Park

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1681
Author(s):  
Dehui Christina Geng ◽  
John L. Innes ◽  
Wanli Wu ◽  
Weiwei Wang ◽  
Guangyu Wang
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Visitor Satisfaction ◽  
Tourist Satisfaction ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
High Season

Seasonal variations in tourist satisfaction is an important issue for the sustainable management of national parks worldwide. Visitors should have high-quality experiences in both the high season and the off-season. This research investigated visitor satisfaction patterns and determinants in Banff National Park in different seasons. The study was conducted through a face-to-face questionnaire survey that collected visitor demographic, expectation and satisfaction data in July 2019 (high season) and December 2019 (off-season) in Banff National Park. The data analyses were based on a sample of 741 respondents and were processed using principal component analysis, correlation analysis and logistic regression models for different seasons. There were significant differences in visitor satisfaction levels and their determinants in different seasons. The quality of the park’s natural characteristics and the park’s activities were the most important determinant of visitor satisfaction in the high season and off-season, respectively. The correlation between visitor satisfaction and expectations in the high season was generally negative, whereas all correlations in the off-season were positive. The results fill a knowledge gap by examining the seasonal differences in visitor experience and their determinants in the national park, and by building a bridge between visitor experience and tourism seasonality. The findings may assist both practitioners and scholars in understanding visitor expectations and satisfaction in different seasons. They may assist in the prioritization and effective management of the park to optimize the visitor experience in both seasons and achieve tourism sustainability.

What Leads to Better Visitor Outcomes in Live Interpretation?

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc J. Stern ◽  
Robert B. Powell
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Visitor Satisfaction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Park Service ◽  
Program Characteristics ◽  
Intentions To Change

We conducted a study to empirically isolate the factors that are most consistently linked with positive outcomes for the attendees of live interpretive programs. We examined the relationships between interpreter and program characteristics and three visitor outcomes—visitor satisfaction, visitor experience and appreciation, and intentions to change behaviors—across 376 programs in 24 units of the U.S. National Park Service. The analyses revealed a list of 15 characteristics associated with these outcomes across a wide range of program types and contexts. Some of these characteristics constituted commonly promoted practices in the interpretation literature (e.g., thematic communication, Tilden's principles, and appropriate organization). However, certain characteristics of the interpreter, in particular their confidence, passion, sincerity, and charisma, were also strongly correlated with positive visitor outcomes. We discuss the study's implications for both interpretive practice and future research.

scholarly journals Understanding and managing wildlife jams in national parks: An evaluation in Grand Teton National Park

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 73-80
Author(s):  
Christopher Monz ◽  
Abigail M. Kidd
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
National Park ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
Visitor Behavior ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Wildlife Viewing ◽  
Accuracy Data

As recreation and tourism in parks and protected areas continues to increase, managers face rising concerns of degradation of natural resources and the visitor experience. Many park visitors are seeking opportunities to view or photograph wildlife. Visitor behavior in prime wildlife-viewing areas often involves visitors parking along roadways and exiting their cars to view wildlife. This creates a phenomenon known as a “wildlife jam”, as visitors park informally along a roadway, often becoming pedestrians as they view wildlife, while other motorists attempt to drive through. To date, no studies have comprehensively investigated this phenomenon. Our study characterizes the nature of wildlife jams on the Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was used to collect high-accuracy data on location and duration of the jams. Observations during jams characterize size (how many visitors and cars were involved) and visitor behaviors during jams. Preliminary results suggest that jam characteristics including presence of park staff, species involved, and location, can affect the duration, extent, and visitor behaviors that occur. Understanding the nature of these jams will enable park managers to minimize the potential negative effects of jams on wildlife and the visitor experience.   Featured photo by letdown102 on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/57jUok

scholarly journals Backcountry visitor experience and social science indicators for Glacier Bay National Park

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Furr ◽  
Chase Lamborn ◽  
Abigail Sisneros-Kidd ◽  
Christopher Monz ◽  
Shannon Wesstrom
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
National Park ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Glacier Bay ◽  
Glacier Bay National Park

scholarly journals Factors influencing perceived appropriateness of concessioner activity in Grand Teton

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Nicholas Pitas
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Place Identity ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Social Liberalism ◽  
A Current

Concessioner provided services are integral to the national park visitor experience, and with visitation across NPS units growing steadily, services provided by these public-private-partnerships will likely only increase in importance. Despite this, concerns exist regarding the presence of for-profit entities within national parks. While private businesses may be more responsive to consumers, their presence raises questions regarding equity, access, and perceptions of ownership. The purpose of this study was to assess factors that may influence visitor’s perceptions of appropriateness regarding (a) current and (b) future concessioner activities within Grand Teton National park (GTNP). Regression analyses indicate the importance of personal values, rather than actual experiences (positive or negative) with concessions in shaping perceived appropriateness of future concessions activity. Satisfaction with concessions services, amount of concessions activity that respondents perceived in the park in the present, and trust in GTNP were all non-factors in determining anticipated future appropriateness. Instead, a belief that concessions activity would increase, social liberalism, economic conservatism, and place identity with GTNP were related to perceptions that concessioner activity at GTNP would be inappropriately high in the future. Although the regression predicting future beliefs was robust (R2 = 0.43), no variables significantly predicted current beliefs (R2 = 0.05).   Featured photo by Grand Teton on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2jf3fa9

scholarly journals From Science to Survival: Using Virtual Exhibits to Communicate the Significance of Polar Heritage Sites in the Canadian Arctic

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dawson ◽  
Richard Levy
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Heritage Preservation ◽  
International Polar Year ◽  
Northwest Passage ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
International Polar ◽  
Recent Project

AbstractMany of Canada’s non-Indigenous polar heritage sites exist as memorials to the Heroic Age of arctic and Antarctic Exploration which is associated with such events as the First International Polar Year, the search for the Northwest Passage, and the race to the Poles. However, these and other key messages of significance are often challenging to communicate because the remote locations of such sites severely limit opportunities for visitor experience. This lack of awareness can make it difficult to rally support for costly heritage preservation projects in arctic and Antarctic regions. Given that many polar heritage sites are being severely impacted by human activity and a variety of climate change processes, this raises concerns. In this paper, we discuss how virtual heritage exhibits can provide a solution to this problem. Specifically, we discuss a recent project completed for the Virtual Museum of Canada at Fort Conger, a polar heritage site located in Quttinirpaaq National Park on northeastern Ellesmere Island (http://fortconger.org).

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