Relationships between national-park affinity and attitudes towards protected area management of visitors to the Gesaeuse National Park, Austria

Managing protected areas requires information about the proportion of visitors attracted by the national park label and visitor attitudes towards protected area management. This study explored attitudes of visitor segments towards visitor and environmental management in the Gesaeuse National Park, Austria. The segmentation was based on the degree of visitor affinity to the national park. On-site, face-to-face interviews of 405 visitors were conducted in the national park during the summer and autumn of 2008. Three segments were formed based on their national-park affinity. Two-thirds of the visitors had a low affinity. The proportion of visitors with a low national-park affinity was comparable to other European national parks. The respondents with a low affinity had more negative attitudes towards nature conservation, natural processes, visitor management and the regional economic impact of the Gesaeuse National Park. The study results support national park management in the development of tourism marketing strategies and public awareness campaigns targeted on visitor segments.

► About one third of visitors to the Austrian Gesause National Park have a high national-park affinity.
► The proportion of visitors with a high national-park affinity is comparable to findings of other European national parks.
► Visitors with a high national-park affinity have more positive attitudes towards protected area management.
► Visitors with a low national-park affinity are younger and more engaged in ski mountaineering.