Burgin, Shelley and Hardiman, Nigel (2014) Comparison of survey methods to profile participants in emerging adventure recreation activities undertaken in wilderness. In: The 7th International Conference on Monitoring and Management of Visitors in Recreational and Protected Areas (MMV), August 20-23, 2014, Tallinn, Estonia.
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Tallinn 2014_Comparison of survey methods.pdf - Whole Document 138kB |
Item Type: | Conference or Workshop contribution (Paper) |
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Item Status: | Live Archive |
Abstract
Growth in ‘adventure recreation’, typically practised in protected areas, is occurring. Canyoning (cf. canyoneering), is one such activity. In the Greater Blue Mountain World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), Australia, management was concerned that canyoning was causing environmental damage. However, there is a dearth of data, even on participation, because of the ‘composite’ nature of the activity, its recent emergence, and because adventure recreation is typically restricted to wilderness areas which renders visitor census problematic. Despite difficulties, management need to monitor such activities and a valid, reliable method of survey is required. For emerging forms of adventure recreation, identification of a representative sample is especially problematic. Often, members of enthusiasts’ club are surveyed because sampling this demographic provides for an efficient and cost effective survey method, and wide geographical coverage. However, the representativeness of club members of the targeted population is questionable and thus results may not translate to valid/reliable outcomes. Despite issues, we found no
concurrent studies of adventure recreation that compared club versus on-site sampling.
Although canyoning in the GBMWHA (Australia) involves thousands of visits annually, no canyoning-specific clubs exist. A composite sport, it requires no specific equipment/clothing, and there are no formal competitive Australian events. The
land managers are, therefore, faced with the issue of monitoring participation in, and developing policies for this, and other adventure recreation activities undertaken in wilderness. To inform management’s survey methodology choice, we
compared two survey approaches.
Keywords: | Adventure recreation, Canyoning, World Heritage Area, Wilderness recreation, Visitor impacts, Tourism impacts, Survey methods |
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Subjects: | N Business and Administrative studies > N840 International Tourism N Business and Administrative studies > N800 Tourism, Transport and Travel N Business and Administrative studies > N222 Recreation/Leisure Management N Business and Administrative studies > N510 Market Research N Business and Administrative studies > N231 Land Management N Business and Administrative studies > N200 Management studies |
Divisions: | Lincoln International Business School |
ID Code: | 22981 |
Deposited On: | 20 Apr 2016 13:25 |
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