Implications of climate change for glacier tourism

ABSTRACT

For more than 100 years, the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini National Park have attracted thousands of tourists annually and have emerged as iconic destinations in New Zealand. However, in recent years, the recession of both glaciers has been increasingly rapid and the impacts on, and implications for, visitor experiences in these settings remain relatively unexplored. A mixed-method approach was adopted to investigate visitor experiences and stakeholder perspectives through an assessment of climate-related changes on tourism at the glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. The bio-physical conditions at both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers were reviewed in order to assess the magnitude and rate of retreat. Perceptions of climate change risk and awareness of impacts in the National Park were assessed through stakeholder interviews (n = 13) and a visitor survey (n = 500) was used to better understand how impacts at these sites have affected and may continue to affect visitor experiences. Research results were reported to local communities via a series of public talks. Results revealed the fundamental importance of viewing the glaciers as a significant travel motive of visitors, suggesting that there is a ‘last chance’ dimension to their experience. Furthermore, the results demonstrate a high adaptive capacity of local tourism operators under rapidly changing environmental conditions. The implications of altered visitor experiences for tourism operators and protected area managers are discussed in light of these findings.

摘要

一百多年来, 新西兰西部泰普提尼国家公园里的福克斯和弗朗兹约瑟夫冰川每年吸引成年上万旅游者并且成为新西兰标志性旅游目的地。但是, 近年来两大冰川快速后退, 其对旅游者体验的影响与启示尚未充分探讨。本研究采取混合型方法, 研究了旅游者体验以及利益相关者的观点, 以评价西部泰普提尼国家公园冰川地区气候变化对旅游业的影响。为了评估冰川后退的规模与速度, 本研究评价了福克斯和弗朗兹约瑟夫冰川周边的自然环境条件。为了充分了解气候变化对该地区的影响以及对游客体验的影响, 本研究采取利益相关者访谈(样本规模 = 13)和游客调查(样本规模 = 500)的方法研究了气候变化风险感知以及气候变化影响的认知。研究结果通过一系列公开讨论反馈给当地社区。研究结果揭示了参观冰川为该地游客主要动机的重要意义, 暗示出游客体验中有一种“告别游”的维度。此外, 研究结果表明, 当地旅行商在环境迅速变化的条件下有一种高度适应能力。文章依据研究结果也讨论了游客体验变化对旅行商和保护区管理人员的启示。

KEYWORDS:

• Glacier tourism
• climate change
• last chance tourism
• protected areas
• parks
• Westland Tai Poutini National Park
• New Zealand

关键词:

• 冰川旅游
• 气候变化
• 告别游
• 保护区
• 公园
• 西部泰普提尼国家公园
• 新西兰

Acknowledgements

The research team would like to thank the participants who were involved in the research, and particularly the Department of Conservation staff based on the West Coast for their support and encouragement.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The project was funded from the Lincoln University Research Fund.

Notes on contributors

Emma J. Stewart

Emma Stewart is a human geographer with an interest in human dimensions of climate change in alpine and polar environments.

Jude Wilson

Jude Wilson is interested in the behaviour, experiences and management of nature-based tourists, particularly in New Zealand.

Stephen Espiner

Stephen Espiner focuses on the human dimensions of protected natural area management, with reference to nature-based recreation and tourism and visitor management issues.

Heather Purdie

Heather Purdie is a glaciologist investigating relationships between glacier mass balance and climate in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

Chris Lemieux

Chris Lemieux is interested in policy and management issues pertaining to natural resources with special emphasis on parks and other forms of protected areas.

Jackie Dawson

Jackie Dawson is a geographer focusing on resilience in communities where environmental change has resulted in the restructuring and transformation of local economies.