Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-sjtt6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-02T10:21:46.711Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Evaluating the effectiveness of visitor-regulation strategies for polar tourism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Margaret E. Johnston
Margaret E. Johnston
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The regulation of tourism in polar areas is increasingly of concern to scientists, policy makers, tourists, and tourist operators who wish to control negative impacts and promote positive ones. Given the growing emphasis on finding and using appropriate ways to control visitors to the polar regions, it is important to examine issues related to the effectiveness of individual measures of regulation and the broader strategies that are in effect in these places. This paper examines the effectiveness of visitor-regulation strategies by outlining a two-step approach to evaluation. The initial step should involve determining the nature and attributes of the measures that make up the strategy. Commonalities, differences, constraints, and complementarity in these measures must be assessed. Particular attributes outlined in the paper, such as scale of jurisdiction and degree of restrictiveness, can be examined to assess the compatibility and consistency of the measures, which have implications for overall strategy effectiveness. While it may be appropriate to evaluate individual measures further using a goal-achievement approach, the paper recommends evaluating strategies through a conceptual approach based on criteria related to the characteristics of an effective strategy. Four are described in the paper: comprehensiveness, enforceability, outcomes, and appropriateness.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 34 , Issue 188 , January 1998 , pp. 25 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beck, P.J. 1994. Managing Antarctic tourism: a frontburner issue. Annals of Tourism Research 21 (2): 375–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourne, L. 1996. Normative urban geographies: recent trends, competing visions, and new cultures of regulation. The Canadian Geographer 40 (1): 2–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christensen, T. 1990. Tourism in polarenvironments–with special reference to Greenland and Antarctica. Unpublished MPhil thesis. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge.Google Scholar
Davis, P. 1995. Antarctic visitor behaviour: are guidelines enough? Polar Record 31 (178): 327–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enzenbacher, D.J. 1995. The regulation of Antarctic tourism. In: Hall, C.M., and Johnston, M.E. (editors). Polar tourism: tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons: 179–215.Google Scholar
Hendee, J.C., Stankey, G.H., and Lucas, R.C.. 1990. Wilderness management. Golden, Colorado: North American Press.Google Scholar
Henderson, K.A., and Bialeschki, D.. 1995. Evaluating leisure services: making enlightened decisions. State College, PA: Venture Publishing Inc.Google Scholar
Johnston, M.E. 1997. Polar tourism regulation strategies: controlling visitors through codes of conduct and legislation. Polar Record 33 (184): 11–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnston, M.E., and Hall, C.M.. 1995. Visitor management and the future of tourism in polar regions. In: Hall, C.M., and Johnston, M.E. (editors). Polar tourism: tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons: 297–313.Google Scholar
Kaltenborn, B., and Hindrum, R.. 1995. Opportunities and problems associated with the development of Arctic tourism: a case study from Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic. Unpublished report prepared for the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy Task Force on Sustainable Development and Utilization.Google Scholar
Lundegren, H.M. and Farrell, P.. 1985. Evaluation for leisure service managers: a dynamic approach. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing.Google Scholar
Marsh, J.S., and Staple, S.. 1995. Cruise tourism in the Canadian Arctic and its implications. In Hall, C.M., and Johnston, M.E. (editors). Polar tourism: tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons: 63–72.Google Scholar
Mason, P. 1994. A visitor code for the Arctic. Tourism Management 15 (2): 93–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ministry of Environment (Norway). 1996. Guidelines: management plan for tourism and outdoor recreation in Svalbard. Oslo: Ministry of Environment.Google Scholar
Ministry of Justice (Norway). 1993. Regulations relating to tourism and other travel in Svalbard. Oslo: Ministry of Justice.Google Scholar
Nachmias, D. 1979. Public policy evaluation: approaches and methods. New York: St Martin's Press.Google Scholar
Prokosch, P. 1996. Guidelines for Arctic tourism on the way. WWF Arctic Bulletin 1.96: 12–13.Google Scholar
Sandell, K. 1995. Access to the north – but to what and for whom? Public access in the Swedish countryside and the case of a proposed national park in the Kiruna mountains. In: Hall, C.M., and Johnston, M.E. (editors). Polar tourism: tourism in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons: 131–145.Google Scholar
Smith, V. 1993. What have we learned from Antarctica: a tourism case study. Unpublished paper distributed at the Arctic Tourism and Ecotourism Symposium, 5th World Wilderness Conference/1st Northern Forum, Tromsø, Norway, 24 09–1 10.Google Scholar
Splettstoesser, J. and Folks, M.C.. 1994. Environmental guidelines for tourism in Antarctica. Annals of Tourism Research 21 (2): 231–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theobald, W.F. 1979. Evaluation of recreation and park programs. New York: John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Viken, A. 1996. Tourism regulation: cultural norms or legislation: outdoor life and tourism regulation in Finnmark and on Svalbard. Unpublished paper distributed at conference on ‘How to develop guidelines for Arctic tourism,’ Longyearbyen, Norway, 01 1996.Google Scholar