Developing a typology of sustainable protected area tourism products

Abstract

Political, socio-economic and environmental changes are creating demands for protected areas (PAs) to fulfill a double mandate of both “protection” and “use”. An appropriate mix of tourism products in PAs could help fulfill those demands. The conceptual framework of the Product-based Typology for Nature-based Tourism (PTNT) was developed and tested to identify and monitor suitable tourism products and users. The typology was developed in a deductive approach and empirically tested for the first time in this study of Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany). Two methodological approaches are used: first, a demand-sided approach to the motives and activities of 1092 overnight visitors in a latent class analysis to identify six tourism product clusters. Second, several common sense supply-side-defined tourism products are identified and profiled. All products are described by the motivations and attitudes of their users towards the environment and to sustainable tourism. One product category of “structured ecotourism” is identified, which seems to have the highest potential to help PAs fulfill their double mandate. The results are used to discuss an adaptation of the PTNT for sustainable protected area tourism products. Greater market knowledge, and its skilled use, could help PA managements fulfill the double mandate of PAs.