Date
5-16-2024
Department
Graduate School of Business
Degree
Master of Science in Sport Management (MS)
Chair
Clark Zealand
Keywords
Sustainable recreation, Visitor Use Management, Normative Theory, thresholds, Timed Entry Permit
Disciplines
Sports Management
Recommended Citation
Onufrak, Cassandra L., "Visitor Use Management: How the Timed Entry Permit Reservation System at Parks and Protected Areas Influence the Perception of Sustainable Recreation and Impact Visitor Motivations" (2024). Masters Theses. 1131.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1131
Abstract
Parks and protected areas across the United States have undergone substantial change in recent years, specifically pertaining to visitation trends and patterns. National parks have endured rapid growth in park visitation and popular attractions within park boundaries now experience a high visitor concentration and traffic. As visitation within national parks increases, there is a high probability that visitor-related impacts, such as vegetation trampling, wildlife disturbance, soil erosion, and intra-visitor conflict, are also likely to increase. Visitors are more likely to feel crowded and rushed, and ultimately label their park experience as low or poor quality. Through the use of Visitor Use Management techniques, informed by acceptable thresholds, park and recreation managers have the ability to implement strategies to promote sustainable recreation and ultimately protect parks and protected areas for future visitors. The purpose of this study is to discover the relationship between Visitor Use Management techniques, sustainable recreation, and visitor motivations.
