On the edge of the world: examining pro-environmental outcomes of last chance tourism in Kaktovik, Alaska

Abstract

Travel to impact-sensitive destinations has been on the rise in recent years. Coined “last chance tourism” (LCT), visitors are increasingly coming to these destinations to see them before they are gone. To offset their presence, which ultimately contributes to site degradation, a possible positive outcome of these LCT experiences is the creation of environmental ambassadors. Utilizing data collected from 189 visitor surveys, the purpose of this study is to provide a basis for understanding the visitor experience and outcomes of boat-based polar bear viewing in the Kaktovik area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A typology of visitors was created based on importance of various trip elements, and demographic and trip characteristics were examined by resulting groups. Analyses show that the polar bear viewing experience does have the potential to increase visitors’ pro-environmental and ambassadorship behavioral intentions. Regression analyses revealed, for the sample population, that total minutes educated and the occurrence of an epiphany had a positive impact on visitors’ reported pro-environmental behavior and ambassadorship intentions. Surprisingly, seeing more polar bears was negatively related to these same intentions. Implications for the management of similar experiences are discussed.

Keywords:

• Ambassadorship
• Arctic
• climate change
• environmental epiphanies
• environmental interpretation
• last chance tourism
• pro-environmental behaviors

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Department of the Interior/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recreation Fee Program with Cooperative Agreement Award F17AC00101.

Notes on contributors

Lauren B. Miller

Lauren B. Miller is a recent graduate of Clemson University with an MS in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

Jeffrey C. Hallo

Jeffrey C. Hallo is a Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson University.

Robert G. Dvorak

Robert G. Dvorak is a Professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services Administration at Central Michigan University.

Jessica P. Fefer

Jessica P. Fefer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University.

Brian A. Peterson

Brian A. Peterson is a graduate student at Clemson University pursuing a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.

Matthew T. J. Brownlee

Matthew T. J. Brownlee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson University.