The utilisation of protected area visitor research: a conceptual framework

Abstract

Visitor research constitutes a substantial body of knowledge within tourism literature. Effective application thereof enhances managerial decision-making towards more sustainable tourism management. However, this research is rarely exploited to its full potential. Little is known about the process of utilisation of visitor research in tourism and recreation. This article conceptualises this phenomenon in the context of protected areas by applying knowledge utilisation theory. A two-round Delphi survey was conducted among a panel of visitor research and visitor management experts from various countries to explore the determinants of utilisation, and the components of utilisation impacted. The results suggest visitor research is not optimally applied in visitor management strategies, practices and policies. The utilisation process is complex and involves at least five different categories of determinants: Skills, capacity and awareness of practitioners; the engagement between researchers and practitioners; the organisational context; dissemination efforts; and the characteristics of the research. Determinants underpinned by the organisational interest and interaction explanations appear to play an important role in utilisation. The study proposes a novel conceptual framework outlining the dynamics involved in the movement of visitor research from researchers to practitioners across the stages of utilisation. Recommendations for closing the research-practice gap are provided.

Keywords:

• visitor research
• knowledge utilisation
• research-practice gap
• visitor management
• protected areas

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the experts for their participation and valuable inputs into the study topic. We are further grateful towards the article’s reviewers for providing numerous suggestions that improved the overall quality and presentation. Our gratitude goes out to the University of Pretoria for the postgraduate funding support provided.

Disclosure statement

This article forms part of a series of articles from an unpublished article-based PhD thesis (available from the University of Pretoria). It should be noted that the lead author is employed by a protected area agency. For more details on the authors' measures to reduce any bias introduced as a result of this employment, please refer to section 3.5.