Work

Understanding consumer behaviour and adaptation planning responses to climate-driven environmental change in Canada's parks and protected areas: a climate futurescapes approach

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: Parks and protected areas are a global ecological, social and health resource visited by over 8 billion people annually. Their use can yield substantial benefits, but only if a balance between ecological integrity and sustainable visitation is struck. This research explores the potential influence of climate-driven environmental change on visitation to North America's most popular glacier, the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Canada. Photorealistic environmental visualizations were used to gauge visitors’ perceptions of environmental change and potential impacts on consumer behaviour. Results suggest that impacts could substantially diminish the site's pull as a tourism destination. Rather than improving visitation prospects, expert-proposed adaptations underestimated the importance of perceived naturalness and contributed to further potential decline. Findings are relevant to protected areas planning and management. They suggest that a natural path to climate change adaptation is the best way to support both ecological integrity and the long-term tourism pull of protected areas.

Source: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2016.1192024

Authors: Mark Groulx, Christopher J. Lemieux, John L. Lewis, Sarah Brown

Institutions: University of Northern British Columbia, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo

Language: English

Topic: Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research

Subfield: Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life on land

Open Access status: green

Funders: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada