Tourism organizations and land trusts: a sustainable approach to natural resource conservation?

Abstract

This study explores current and potential collaboration efforts between land trusts (LTs) and tourism entities in the USA. LTs and tourism entities have convergent needs and goals regarding natural resource protection, possibly making them suitable partners. Sustainable tourism development needs natural resource protection; land trusts have proved economically viable and effective methods for protecting natural areas. While some case studies have described collaboration efforts by selected LTs and tourism entities, this mixed methods exploratory study is based upon survey data from 279 local and regional LTs operating across the USA. The study is grounded in both the Primary Environmental Care (PEC) conceptual model and Jafari's Background Tourism Elements concept, providing clarity on current and potential collaboration efforts between LTs and tourism entities. The survey showed that tourism-related characteristics, especially scenic qualities, were acceptable to land trusts, and that tourism was the most mentioned industry within LT areas. Only 39% of LTs currently work with tourism entities; however, only 4% of LTs report opposition from tourism entities to their conservation work. LT managers were strongly in favor of future collaboration with tourism interests. All five of the key components required for the PEC model were found.

旅游组织和土地保护组织之间的合作：一种自然资源保护的可持续手段

该研究探讨了关于美国的土地保护组织（LT）和旅游企业之间在现今和将来建立合作的可能性。LT和旅游企业在自然资源保护上有相紧密联系的需要, 这使得双方很可能成为合适的合作伙伴。可持续旅游发展需要自然资源保护, 保护组织则证明了保护自然地区的有效方法和经济可行性。当有些案例描述了一些LT和旅游企业的合作。该研究是通过对279家在美国各地的当地和区域的LT作的调查所得的试验性结果。该研究是基于基层旅游元素概念模型（PEC）和Jafari的背景旅游元素概念, 来解释LT和旅游企业间现在和将来的合作关系。调查显示和旅游相关的特性, 特别是风景质量, 是被LT所认可的, 并且旅游是LT提到最多的产业。只有39%的LT现在和旅游企业合作。但是, 只有4%的LT和旅游企业关于保护工作持相反意见。LT经理都对将来与旅游企业合作持很强的支持态度。关于PEC模型需要的五大主要元素都在该研究中证实了。

Keywords:

• collaborative planning
• conservation easement
• land trust
• mixed-methods
• natural resource protection
• sustainable tourism

关键词:

• 合作型规划
• 保护缓和
• 土地保护组织
• 混合方法
• 自然资源保护
• 可持续旅游

Notes

1. Fee simple is the most common form of land ownership, and means absolute ownership of real property.