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Empirical Investigation of the Motivation and Perception of Tourists Visiting the Apuseni Nature Park (Romania) and the Relationship of Tourism and Natural Resources

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  • Tamás Telbisz

    (Department of Physical Geography, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Zoltán Imecs

    (Department of Geography in Hungarian, Babeş-Bolyai University, Strada Mihail Kogălniceanu, 400347 Cluj Napoca, Romania)

  • András Máthé

    (Department of Geography in Hungarian, Babeş-Bolyai University, Strada Mihail Kogălniceanu, 400347 Cluj Napoca, Romania)

  • László Mari

    (Department of Physical Geography, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

As part of an international project, national parks and nature parks established in karst regions are examined, with a primary focus on how local residents, visitors and influential figures (i.e., park managers, mayors) perceive the advantages and disadvantages of a specific park. The study area in this paper is the Apuseni Nature Park (Romania). The main natural resources of this park are: the karst (morphology and hydrology), the forests and the landscape. In order to explore the perception and motivation of tourists visiting the park, a field survey using a convenience sampling strategy was conducted in 2019 and 2021 at eleven sites in the park. The results show that among the motivations, the “search for relaxation” option is the most frequently selected (43%), but “interest in caves” (34%) and “interest in karst terrains” (29%) were also relatively popular. In terms of public support for potential developments, one positive result of the questionnaire is that developments involving sustainability and nature conservation (visitor centre, education trails and viewpoints) enjoy significantly more support than developments that put a strain on the environment (adventure parks and expansion of entertainment facilities). The awareness of geotourism should be improved, but even at the current level it can be said that geotourists are an important segment of the park’s visitors. A careful development of tourism can be recommended for the park, but it must ensure that the principles of sustainability are taken into account during the developments. Given the environmental and economic challenges, strengthening the organization of the park is suggested in order to better protect the threatened natural resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Tamás Telbisz & Zoltán Imecs & András Máthé & László Mari, 2023. "Empirical Investigation of the Motivation and Perception of Tourists Visiting the Apuseni Nature Park (Romania) and the Relationship of Tourism and Natural Resources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4181-:d:1080544
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    3. 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.

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