Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland
Protected area establishment can be a source of land-use conflicts. National parks are particularly prone to such conflicts as they tend to cover large, sometimes remote, areas, involve many stakeholders, and often constitute an important venue for both tourism and outdoor recreation. Identifying po...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/242 |
| _version_ | 1827654320138485760 |
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| author | Michaël Virgil Bishop Rannveig Ólafsdóttir Þorvarður Árnason |
| author_facet | Michaël Virgil Bishop Rannveig Ólafsdóttir Þorvarður Árnason |
| author_sort | Michaël Virgil Bishop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Protected area establishment can be a source of land-use conflicts. National parks are particularly prone to such conflicts as they tend to cover large, sometimes remote, areas, involve many stakeholders, and often constitute an important venue for both tourism and outdoor recreation. Identifying potential conflict issues at an early stage is crucial to prevent further escalation and preserve public support for conservation. This article presents the findings of a nation-wide survey focusing on the establishment of the Central Highland National Park (CHNP) in Iceland, with the aim of identifying such points of contention. The results show that while the establishment of the CHNP enjoys broad public support, concerns over access restrictions are the most common reason for opposition. The majority of respondents support limiting the number of visitors to the area, which can hardly be implemented without conflicting with public access rights, deeply embedded in local culture and uses. In this remote area, access facilitation through road and accommodation development, however, appears very divisive, either seen as providing increased opportunities for the general public to enjoy the area or as threatening the authenticity of travel experiences in a wilderness destination, and paving the way for further developments. It is argued that refraining from building up roads is the most diplomatic way to limit visitor numbers without seriously impairing travel freedom, therefore preserving the wilderness qualities of the area while meeting users’ expectations. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of public opinion research and stakeholder consultation when planning and managing tourism and outdoor recreation in wilderness settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:36:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c1330beb6a0441ae87f1780c1bae4529 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:36:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-c1330beb6a0441ae87f1780c1bae45292023-11-23T20:43:10ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-02-0111224210.3390/land11020242Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of IcelandMichaël Virgil Bishop0Rannveig Ólafsdóttir1Þorvarður Árnason2Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavík, IcelandDepartment of Geography and Tourism Studies, Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavík, IcelandHornafjörður Research Centre, University of Iceland, 780 Höfn in Hornafjörður, IcelandProtected area establishment can be a source of land-use conflicts. National parks are particularly prone to such conflicts as they tend to cover large, sometimes remote, areas, involve many stakeholders, and often constitute an important venue for both tourism and outdoor recreation. Identifying potential conflict issues at an early stage is crucial to prevent further escalation and preserve public support for conservation. This article presents the findings of a nation-wide survey focusing on the establishment of the Central Highland National Park (CHNP) in Iceland, with the aim of identifying such points of contention. The results show that while the establishment of the CHNP enjoys broad public support, concerns over access restrictions are the most common reason for opposition. The majority of respondents support limiting the number of visitors to the area, which can hardly be implemented without conflicting with public access rights, deeply embedded in local culture and uses. In this remote area, access facilitation through road and accommodation development, however, appears very divisive, either seen as providing increased opportunities for the general public to enjoy the area or as threatening the authenticity of travel experiences in a wilderness destination, and paving the way for further developments. It is argued that refraining from building up roads is the most diplomatic way to limit visitor numbers without seriously impairing travel freedom, therefore preserving the wilderness qualities of the area while meeting users’ expectations. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of public opinion research and stakeholder consultation when planning and managing tourism and outdoor recreation in wilderness settings.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/242national parkoutdoor recreationtourismpublic participationland-use conflictswilderness |
| spellingShingle | Michaël Virgil Bishop Rannveig Ólafsdóttir Þorvarður Árnason Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland Land national park outdoor recreation tourism public participation land-use conflicts wilderness |
| title | Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland |
| title_full | Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland |
| title_fullStr | Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland |
| title_short | Tourism, Recreation and Wilderness: Public Perceptions of Conservation and Access in the Central Highland of Iceland |
| title_sort | tourism recreation and wilderness public perceptions of conservation and access in the central highland of iceland |
| topic | national park outdoor recreation tourism public participation land-use conflicts wilderness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/2/242 |
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