Managers' experiences of visitor monitoring in Swedish outdoor recreational areas

Sammanfattning

Systematically collected information on outdoor recreation participation, motives and behaviors can improve recreation opportunities and reduce the risk of user conflicts. There are many uses of this type of information for managers of recreational areas including analyses of environmental, social and economic impacts, development of infrastructure, and marketing to appropriate audiences. One key component in building this knowledge is the application of visitor monitoring. This study takes an exploratory approach by analyzing managers' experiences on different on-site monitoring methods at 12 recreational areas in Sweden. Results show that knowledge of these methods and their use are strongly linked to individual managers' skills and competence. Contemporary changes in recreation behavior calls for more innovative monitoring approaches, but managers included in this study primarily work with rather traditional methods, which is likely representative of the overall situation in Sweden. Networking, educational programs and closer collaborations with universities could facilitate some of the challenges identified.

Nyckelord

Visitor monitoring; Counting; On-site survey; Recreation manager

Publicerad i

Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
2016, volym: 14, sidor: 35-40
Utgivare: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU författare

• Lindhagen, Anders

  • Institutionen för skogens produkter, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Associerade SLU-program

Naturupplevelser och hälsa

Globala målen (SDG)

SDG9 Hållbar industri, innovationer och infrastruktur

UKÄ forskningsämne

Ekonomisk geografi

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2016.04.008

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/105474