Elsevier

Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

Recreational ecosystem services in protected areas: A survey of visitors to Natura 2000 sites in Italy

Abstract

The demand for enjoyable recreational environments is growing. At the same time, the increment of urban areas and intensively managed agronomical areas are deemed major threats to ecosystem services provision. Therefore, protected areas are becoming increasingly important for providing recreational ecosystem services. In this study, we analysed visitors' profiles from on-site surveys at 10 Natura 2000 sites in unlike Italian regions. We gathered information on recreational activities, behaviour, expenditure, satisfaction of the visitors, and knowledge of Natura 2000. Predominant recreational activities were hiking, cycling, and wine and food tasting. Mean daily expenditure per company amounted to 48.56 €. The level of satisfaction with site-specific facilities and features was generally loftier, whereas knowledge about the Natura 2000 network was scarce. In the light of the visitors' behaviour, we identified three main types of visitors: the regional excursionist, the local recreationist, and the sportive tourist. The presented findings provide useful insights for Natura 2000 site management and related recreational ecosystem services as well as for guiding visitor management.

Management implications

Our survey reveals several aspects related to recreational visits of protected areas, which are important for managing ecosystems and visitors:

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The revealed master recreational activities can aid to improve the recreational opportunities or visitor management.

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Estimation of visitor expenditure indicates economic benefits at the local level.

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Visitor types describe company behaviour and can guide the promotion of the sites.

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Suggestions of the respondents for improving the recreational quality of the sites include more than initiatives, guided tours and information, every bit well every bit the improvement of the roads and the signage system.

Keywords

Cultural ecosystem services

Recreational ecosystem services

Protected surface area management

Nature-based tourism

Outdoor recreation

Italian republic

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