The Impact of Concessioners on Sustainability in and around U.S. National Parks: A Case Study of Grand Teton National Park Concessioners

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Qwynne Lackey ◽  
Kelly Bricker
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Private Industry ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
The Impact

Concessioners play an important role in park and protected area management by providing visitor services. Historically, concessioners were criticized for their negative impacts on environmental sustainability. However, due to policy changes, technological advances, and shifting market demands, there is a need to reevaluate the role of concessioners in sustainable destination management in and around parks and protected areas. The purpose of this qualitative case study situated in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which was guided by social exchange theory, was to explore U.S. national park concessioners’ influence on sustainable development at the destination level from the perspective of National Park Service (NPS) staff, concessioners, and local community members. Sustainability was examined holistically as a multifaceted construct with integrated socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Twenty-three participants completed semistructured interviews. Researchers identified four thematic categories describing concessioners’ influence on sustainability; motivations and barriers to pursuing sustainability initiatives; and situational factors that facilitated concessioners’ sustainability actions. While participants commented on the negative environmental impacts of concessioners and their operations, these data suggest that concessioners were working individually and collaboratively to promote environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural sustainability in and around GTNP. Some concessioners were even described as leaders, testing and driving the development of innovative sustainability policies and practices. These actions were motivated, in part, by contractual obligations and profit generation. However, concessioners also had strong intangible motivators, such as intrinsic values and a strong sense of community, that drove their positive contributions to sustainability. Based on these data, we recommend that those involved in future theoretical and practical work with concessioners acknowledge the importance of both tangible and intangible motivators when attempting to promote higher levels of sustainability achievement and collaboration. This will become increasingly important as land management agencies continue to embrace strategies beyond the traditional “parks as islands” approach to management. Additionally, future work should explore more specifically the role of policy, conceptualizations of sustainability, and private industry sponsorship in promoting concessioners’ contributions to sustainability, especially in collaborative settings. This work is needed to understand if and how these observations generalize to other contexts.

Impacts of national parks on tourism: a case study from a prominent alpine national park

2009 ◽  
pp. 103-120
Author(s):  
Michael Getzner
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Overnight Stays

-National parks and other categories of protected areas are often assumed to enhance regional economic development due to park tourism. The current study attempts to estimate the impact of the Hohe Tauern national park (Austria) on tourism by exploring whether and to what extent the national park may have had an influence on tourism development. For most national park communities, the results suggest that the establishment of the national park had some impact by enforcing an already positive trend or by weakening or reversing a negative trend of tourism. However, breakpoint tests exhibit turning points up to several years after the establishment of the park, indicating that taking a national park as the basis for tourism development is a medium to long term development strategy. In the short term, the impact of a national park on tourism is not measurable. Tourism increased by 1 to 3% annually after the breakpoint, indicating that the establishment of a national park has to be incorporated into the tourism and development strategy of a region right from the start. The causal relationship between the establishment of the national park and tourism development may be weak, in particular in communities where the difference between the actual and the forecast numbers of overnight stays is small. Marketing national park tourism and building up a brand or distinctive label may therefore contribute to regional development particularly in the long term.Key words: Tourism, national park, protected area, time series, stationarity, breakpoint test, ARIMA.JEL classifications: R110, L830, C220.Parole chiave: Turismo, parco nazionale, area protetta, serie temporale, stazionarietŕ, test di breakpoint, ARIMA.

scholarly journals The Status of the Bald Eagle and Osprey in Grand Teton National Park and Vicinity

1978 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Robert Eng ◽  
Kurt Alt
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Baseline Data ◽  
Bald Eagle ◽  
Haliaeetus Leucocephalus ◽  
Pandion Haliaetus ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Future Management

With the accelerated use of our national parks there is growing concern over the impact this increased visitation might have on their flora and fauna. For this reason it is important to gather baseline data on the biota for future management and interpretive programs. Two species of concern in Grand Teton National Park are the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and osprey (Pandion haliaetus).

scholarly journals Eco-Social Agriculture for Social Transformation and Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study of the UPAS-Project

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5510
Author(s):  
Sara Nicli ◽  
Susanne Ursula Elsen ◽  
Armin Bernhard
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Development Project ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disadvantaged People

Rural areas are facing vulnerabilities and changes caused by negative social, economic and ecological externalities resulting from industrial agriculture systems. Locally embedded farms and bottom-linked approaches such as social cooperatives that act in the field of social agriculture are small, but valuable models to counteract these trends. This article is based on a case study conducted within the transdisciplinary research and development project Unlocking the Potential of Social Agriculture (UPAS), 2017–2020—financed by the Free University of Bolzano. The main focus of the case study is to determine the impact of social agriculture initiatives on social and healthcare systems, the natural environment and the communities in which they act. Data collection includes a literature review, observations and interviews carried out on 35 case studies of social agriculture initiatives, mainly located in Italy. The field research points out that actors in the sector of social agriculture predominantly aim to integrate disadvantaged people socially and in terms of their labor, base their production on organic methods, and that social agriculture has the potential to foster eco-social transformation and development of rural areas by the combination of social and ecological concerns. Thus, we use the term “eco-social” agriculture to describe these approaches. Furthermore, five components of eco-social agriculture have been defined, which, together, offer an ideal set of acting principles, namely: (1) the empowerment and integration of disadvantaged people, (2) the promotion of environmentally friendly agricultural practices, (3) the protection of nature, resources and cultural landscape, (4) support to the local community, and (5) education for sustainable development.

The Engagement of Community and Volunteers in a Small-Scale Sport Event and the Impact on Sustainable Tourism

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-70
Author(s):  
Valentina Della Corte ◽  
Giovanna Del Gaudio ◽  
Giuliana Nevola
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Sustainable Tourism ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
Sport Events ◽  
The Impact

This work aims to investigate the key role of local community through volunteerism experience in small-scale sport events and the impact that the community engagement in small sport events can have on the local destination in terms of sustainable tourism. To do this analysis, the authors take into consideration the triple bottom line approach. Given the interdisciplinary character of sustainability, the chapter investigates the relation between small sport events and community, underlining two main aspects: the strategic role of volunteers in terms of community capabilities and the impact that small sport events have on local community in terms of social cohesion and local identity. Small-scale sport events, indeed, strengthen the sense of community and tradition, thus attracting visitors. In the last section of the chapter, an interesting case study and a series of sustainable tourism indicators are illustrated.

scholarly journals El rol de la presencia de un área silvestre protegida en el desarrollo local. Un estudio de caso en la Región de Aysén, Patagonia chilena / / / \ \ \ The role of the presence of a protected wild area in local development. A case study in the Aysen Region, chilean Patagonia

2020 ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Adriano Rovira ◽  
Camila Salas ◽  
Guillermo Pacheco
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
Chilean Patagonia

Resumen: Para probar si el desarrollo de una pequeña localidad puede ser impulsado por el turismo asociado a la presencia en su cercanía de un área silvestre protegida, se estudió el caso de Villa Cerro Castillo, en la Región de Aysén, Patagonia chilena. Para ello se hizo un reconocimiento de los emprendimientos turísticos en la localidad y se caracterizó a los prestadores de servicio en el lugar. Para evaluar la evolución de la dotación de servicios turísticos, se comparó la situación del año 2019 con la del año 2006. Como resultado pudo comprobarse que la existencia de servicios turísticos se multiplicó por 1,5 en los 19 años del presente siglo, manifestando, además, una mayor calidad y variedad. Este ritmo de crecimiento se aceleró a partir del año 2013, coincidiendo con un fuerte aumento de la llegada de turistas a la Región de Aysén y un incremento por el interés en el turismo de naturaleza. Además, se estimó que la actividad turística generó, para la localidad, 64 puestos de trabajo en la última temporada y un total anual de ingresos de 650 mil dólares.   Palabras clave: Parques nacionales, economía local, comunidad portal, Patagonia chilena.   Abstract: To prove if the development of a small town can be driven by tourism associated with the presence in its vicinity of a protected wild area, we studied the case of Villa Cerro Castillo, in the Region of Aysén, chilean Patagonia. With this purpose, tourism projects in the locality were recognized and local service providers were characterized. In order to evaluate the evolution of the provision of tourist services, the situation of 2019 was compared with that of 2006. As a result it was found that the existence of tourist services multiplied by 1,5 in the 19 years of this century, manifesting also a higher quality and variety. This rate of growth was accelerated from 2013, coinciding with a strong increase in tourist arrivals in the Aysén Region and an increase in interest in eco-tourism. In addition, it was estimated that the tourist activity generated 64 jobs for the town in the last season and a total annual income of 650 thousand dollars.   Key words: National parks, local economy, local community, chilean Patagonia.

An Analytical Approach to Cruise Tourism As an Option For Development: a Case Study of the Sultanate of Oman

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-109
Author(s):  
Heba Aziz ◽  
Osman El-Said ◽  
Marike Bontenbal
Keyword(s):  
Capital City ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Cruise Tourism ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Average Expenditure ◽  
Return Intention

The objective of this study was to measure the level of cruise tourists' satisfaction as well as the relationship between satisfaction, recommendation, return intention, and expenditure. Also, the impact of factors such as nationality, length of the visit, and age on the level of expenditure was measured. An empirical approach for data collection was followed and a total of 152 questionnaires were collected from cruise tourists visiting the capital city of Oman, Muscat, as cruise liners anchor at Sultan Qaboos Port. Results of the regression analysis supported the existence of a causal relationship between satisfaction with destination attributes, overall satisfaction, recommendation, return intention, and expenditure. It was found that the average expenditure varies according to age and length of the visit. Recommendations for policy makers were suggested on how to increase the role of cruise tourism in strengthening the economy.

scholarly journals Long-term changes in the plant ecology of an African savanna landscape and the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation management

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Western ◽  
Victor N. Mose ◽  
David Maitumo ◽  
Caroline Mburu
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Plant Ecology ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Ecosystem Theory ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Studies of the African savannas have used national parks to test ecological theories of natural ecosystems, including equilibrium, non-equilibrium, complex adaptive systems, and the role of top-down and bottom-up physical and biotic forces. Most such studies have excluded the impact of pastoralists in shaping grassland ecosystems and, over the last half century, the growing human impact on the world’s rangelands. The mounting human impact calls for selecting indicators and integrated monitoring methods able to track ecosystem changes and the role of natural and human agencies. Our study draws on five decades of monitoring the Amboseli landscape in southern Kenya to document the declining role of natural agencies in shaping plant ecology with rising human impact. Results We show that plant diversity and productivity have declined, biomass turnover has increased in response to a downsizing of mean plant size, and that ecological resilience has declined with the rising probability of extreme shortfalls in pasture production. The signature of rainfall and physical agencies in driving ecosystem properties has decreased sharply with growing human impact. We compare the Amboseli findings to the long-term studies of Kruger and Serengeti national parks to show that the human influence, whether by design or default, is increasingly shaping the ecology of savanna ecosystems. We look at the findings in the larger perspective of human impact on African grasslands and the world rangelands, in general, and discuss the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation policy and management. Conclusions The Amboseli study shows the value of using long-term integrated ecological monitoring to track the spatial and temporal changes in the species composition, structure, and function of rangeland ecosystems and the role of natural and human agencies in the process of change. The study echoes the widespread changes underway across African savannas and world’s rangelands, concluding that some level of ecosystem management is needed to prevent land degradation and the erosion of ecological function, services, and resilience. Despite the weak application of ecological theory to conservation management, a plant trait-based approach is shown to be useful in explaining the macroecological changes underway.

scholarly journals A review of challenges and benefits of integration of CHP plant into the grid: a case study in Serbia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rade M. Ciric ◽  
Sasa N. Mandic
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency ◽  
High Voltage Supply ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe Republic of Serbia must make significant efforts to promote and exploit renewable energy sources and increase energy efficiency in all energy sectors to ensure energy security and economic competitiveness, reduce the negative impact on the environment from energy production and use, and contribute to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Within the paper several issues of integration of recently realized CHP plant are introduced and discussed. Firstly, the legal and energy policy issues in the Republic of Serbia regarding connecting CHP to the grid are presented. The challenges and technical solutions for CHP connection to the grid, as well as power quality issues and the role of the CHP plant during the restoration of power supply during the maintenance of the substation and unplanned loss of high voltage supply, are presented and discussed. Finally, the impact of prospective massive integration of CHP on the energy balance and CO2 emission reduction in the province of Vojvodina in Serbia is investigated and discussed. Since it is the first CHP plant realized in Serbia, it is crucial that experience be shared to all potential stakeholders in the future energy efficiency projects.

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