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Abstract
The development of eco-sanctuaries has been an important response to the biodiversity crisis in New Zealand. They combine intensive predator control and biodiversity conservation, with a particular focus on endangered endemic wildlife within the local ecosystems. Tourism has been harnessed to fund conservation efforts, raising important questions about the experiences of visitors to eco-sanctuaries. This paper explores international visitors’ perceptions and experiences of ecological restoration at New Zealand eco-sanctuaries. Theoretically framed by the field of environmental philosophy, we present an analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with international visitors to eco-sanctuaries. Our findings identified competing interests among humans, endemic wildlife, invasive animals and the wider biological community tied to visitor perceptions of ecological restoration. These perceptions are largely found to be shaped by the interplay between environmental ethics and relevant awareness/knowledge of international visitors. The research contributes to emerging trans-disciplinary discourses that address tourism and environmental philosophy by offering an environmental ethics-awareness/knowledge framework to elucidate different visitor mindsets, with implications drawn for their distinct and nuanced experiences at the eco-sanctuaries. It also sheds light on the demand side of nature-based tourism by interrogating the perceived intrinsic value of the natural world and the potential of aesthetic value in conservation management.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 In contrast with the awareness which refers to the state of consciousness about a particular fact or situation, knowledge often denotes relevant deep understandings or familiarity. Together, the awareness/knowledge in Figure 1 represents a holistic account of the cognitive aspects pertaining to international visitors’ understandings about the biodiversity crisis and ecological restoration in New Zealand.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Guojie Zhang
Guojie (Desmond) Zhang recently completed his PhD at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Guojie's research interests lie in the areas of visitor experiences, nature-based tourism and sharing economy.
James Higham
James Higham, PhD, holds the position of professor at the University of Otago (New Zealand). His research addresses tourism and global environmental change, with a particular focus on climate change, tourist transportation and emissions mitigation.
Julia N. Albrecht
Julia N. Albrecht, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the University of Otago (New Zealand). Her research interests include tourism management and planning, visitor management and nature-based tourism.