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Tourism Industry Attitudes towards National Parks and Wilderness: A Case Study from the Icelandic Central Highlands

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  • Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir

    (Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Margrét Wendt

    (Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Rannveig Ólafsdóttir

    (Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland)

Abstract

National parks serve a dual purpose: they aim to protect pristine nature and they are intended to facilitate visitation and provide necessary services. However, as visitation increases, it becomes challenging to establish a balance between visitation and the preservation of nature. This paper aims to examine the attitudes of tourism service providers in Iceland towards a proposed national park in the Central Highlands of Iceland, where pristine nature and wilderness are the main attraction, as well as the grounds for conservation. A mixed methodological approach was applied with an online questionnaire survey among all day-tour operators and travel agencies in Iceland, along with 48 semi-structured interviews as follow-up for a deeper understanding. In total, 382 companies answered the online survey, representing a 40% response rate. The results demonstrate that there are mixed opinions on whether the establishment of a national park is the best way to maintain the qualities of the area, with various arguments for and against the national park. Nevertheless, most tourism service providers want to have a say in its governance. It is however important to remember that the tourism industry exploits nature as a market-driven commodity, as its voice must always be evaluated in light of this.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir & Margrét Wendt & Rannveig Ólafsdóttir, 2022. "Tourism Industry Attitudes towards National Parks and Wilderness: A Case Study from the Icelandic Central Highlands," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:11:p:2066-:d:975959
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stephan Weiler & Andrew Seidl, 2004. "What's in a Name? Extracting Econometric Drivers to Assess The Impact of National Park Designation," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 245-262, May.
    2. Hördur V. Haraldsson & Rannveig Ólafsdóttir, 2018. "Evolution of Tourism in Natural Destinations and Dynamic Sustainable Thresholds over Time," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Peter Fredman & Lisa Hörnsten Friberg & Lars Emmelin, 2007. "Increased Visitation from National Park Designation," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 87-95.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ahmed Nuru Zeleke & Tuğba Deniz, 2023. "The Impact of Visitor Profile on Effective Management of Protected Areas: A Case of Atatürk Arboretum," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Sanja Obradović & Aleksandra Tešin, 2023. "Local Communities’ Perceptions of Tourism Planning in Natural Areas," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Steve Carver & Sif Konráðsdóttir & Snæbjörn Guðmundsson & Ben Carver & Oliver Kenyon, 2023. "New Approaches to Modelling Wilderness Quality in Iceland," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-28, February.

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