Beyond Boundaries: An Assessment of the Yosemite National Park Geotourism Initiative

Abstract

Based on key actor interviews, attendance at local meetings, and analysis of pertinent planning documents and other relevant literatures, this project investigates the recently initiated geotourism project in Yosemite National Park. Geotourism, a concept promoted by National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations, involves local stakeholders in the development of regional interactive maps and seeks to support sustainable regional economies and develop an appreciation for regional “sense of place” among park visitors. At a more practical level, park managers see the initiative as a way to cope with Yosemite's intense summer traffic congestion and move beyond the litigious history that has plagued efforts to balance wilderness preservation with visitor access. Yosemite's geotourism initiative, at least over the short term, has enhanced collaboration among formerly litigious stakeholders. Its potential for ameliorating traffic congestion is very limited, at least in the near term. Sustainable regional development and sense of place are elusive yet strategic concepts that are not fully articulated and may, as they are more fully elaborated, exacerbate some regional inequities.

Notes

To protect anonymity, only selected references to interviews are included, and interviewees are not identified by name.