National Parks as icons for those who like nature tourism: Spain and Norway
National Parks are very important to most tourists who would like to visit natural surroundings, since the places observed are considered unique for them and may represent the main reason of the travel. Although tourists may perceive differences in their visit to different natural surroundings, both Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (AESMNP) in Spain and Hardangervidda National Park (HNP) in Norway, have both been perceived as unique for tourists.
Therefore it is important to analyze how the long-term impacts of tourism activities benefit local economy revenue through as accommodation and food services. This paper will compare and contrast AESMNP and HNP in order to understand why they are perceived as icons, with an analysis of management structure, natural surroundings and tourists satisfaction.
Ikeda, Ito & Sakamoto (2010) describe the importance of organization structure for an efficient management. This efficiency can help a local economy during the stay of the tourists, and offer also long term benefits for both National Parks and the local community in accordance with respect to natural surroundings.
Photo: Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park
Source: www.spainisculture.com/en/espacios_naturales/parque_nacional_de_aiguestortes_i_estany_de_sant_maurici.html
First AESMNP is governed by a board of trustees which includes “representatives of the various authorities and associations” (Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, 2014a). On the other hand the official website of The Hardangervidda National Park Centre (2015) explains that HNP is governed by Hardangervidda National Park and the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre South.
Photo: Hardangervidda National Park
Source: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1749196-d1027779-i54173576-Hardangervidda_National_Park-Uvdal_Nore_og_Uvdal_Municipality_Buskerud_E.html
Tourists choose to travel to AESMNP and HNP because they "prefer places with a strong link with nature” (Corvo 2011, p.1). However natural surroundings differ between both National Parks; they appeal to different tourist’s audience and interests. McCannell (1976) defines the concept of semiotics where tourists perceive the importance of nature as a tourism object, which creates a link between them and the National Parks. In the first place the few number of tourists visit AESMNP connects more strongly with the place because the natural surroundings are not affected by a massive tourism “Man’s footprint was therefore less marked here than in other places, and this area remained largely unchanged” (Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, 2014b). In contrast tourists are drawn to HNP due to the existence of more than 120 species of birds, which gives a value for conservation of nature as they can help to pollinate crops at HNP.
In addition tourists expect to enjoy their travel experience according to Chockalingam & Auroubindo Ganesh (2010), since it will have a positive impact for the local community, and tourists may recommend that to their friends should visit the National Parks. Above all the nearly 200 mountain lakes at AESMNP are unique for tourists visit, since there are no other National Parks in the area with those characteristics. On the other hand the hilly paths to reach HNP are presented by Hardangervidda National Park Route (2008) as a motivation to travel, since tourists feel satisfied when they reach HNP after the long time and distance.
To close the contrast of natural routes and bird wildlife between AESMNP and HNP shows the impact of natural surroundings for tourists to perceive being satisfied. Moreover the success of both National Parks despite differences in management structure and natural places, evidence natural surroundings being perceived as icons for tourists travel to AESMNP and HNP.
List of references
* Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (2014a). Board of Trustees. Available at: http://parcsnaturals.gencat.cat/en/aiguestortes/coneixeu-nos/patronat/
* Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (2014b). Landscape. Available at: http://parcsnaturals.gencat.cat/en/aiguestortes/coneixeu-nos/patrimoni_natural_i_cultural/paisatge/index.html
* Chockalingam, M. & Auroubindo Ganesh, A. (2010). Problems encountered by tourists. BEH-Business and Economic Horizons, 3 (3): 68-72
Corvo, P. (2011). The Pursuit of Happiness and the Globalized Tourist. Social Indicators Research, 102 (1): 93-97
* Hardangervidda National Park Route (2008). Welcome to the Hardangervidda National Park Route. Available at: http://www.nasjonalparkrute.no/eng/
* Ikeda, S., Ito, T. & Sakamoto, M. (2010). Discovering the efficient organization structure: horizontal versus vertical. Artificial Life and Robotics, 15 (4): 478-481
MacCannell, D. (1976). A Semiotic of Attraction-In The Tourist: a new theory of the leisure class. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 109-133
* The Hardangervidda National Park Centre (2015). The Hardangervidda National Park Centre-Location. Available at: http://en.hardangervidda.com/The-Hardangervidda-National-Park-Centre
