• myGriffith
    • Staff portal
    • Contact Us⌄
      • Future student enquiries 1800 677 728
      • Current student enquiries 1800 154 055
      • International enquiries +61 7 3735 6425
      • General enquiries 07 3735 7111
      • Online enquiries
      • Staff phonebook
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Journal articles
    • View Item
    • Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Journal articles
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

  • All of Griffith Research Online
    • Communities & Collections
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • This Collection
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • Statistics

  • Most Popular Items
  • Statistics by Country
  • Most Popular Authors
  • Support

  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Admin login

  • Login
  • Hydropower and tourism in Iceland: Visitor and operator perspectives on preferred use of natural areas

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Burns161770.pdf (772.2Kb)
    Author(s)
    Burns, Georgette Leah
    Haraldsdottir, Laufey
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Burns, Georgette Leah L.
    Year published
    2019
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    This paper examines visitor and tourism operator perspectives of a recreation destination in the face of competing land use from the potential industrial development of a hydroelectric power plant. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to discover (i) how and why the area is used for recreational activities by both Icelanders and foreigners, (ii) the satisfaction of two key stakeholder groups: visitors to the area and local tourism business operators and, (iii) the opinions held by these groups with regards to the potential impacts of the proposed development on tourism and recreation in the region. Analysis of the ...
    View more >
    This paper examines visitor and tourism operator perspectives of a recreation destination in the face of competing land use from the potential industrial development of a hydroelectric power plant. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to discover (i) how and why the area is used for recreational activities by both Icelanders and foreigners, (ii) the satisfaction of two key stakeholder groups: visitors to the area and local tourism business operators and, (iii) the opinions held by these groups with regards to the potential impacts of the proposed development on tourism and recreation in the region. Analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that the majority of visitors were extremely satisfied with their experience of nature in the area and, correspondingly, that construction of hydropower facilities would deter them from visiting. Opinions of interviewed tourism operators were more varied, based on their type of business and distance from the proposed development site. Some welcomed potential improved access to the areas, but most held concerns that the development of hydroelectricity could negatively affect the natural environment, and the visitor experience, resulting in negative impacts on tourism in the area. These data were incorporated into a report prepared for the Icelandic government to assist their decision making in how best to manage this natural area in the future. The proposal for hydropower in the region was ultimately rejected and the area recommended for special protection status under Icelandic legislation. Management implications From this research we learnt that visitors to natural areas value a perception of wilderness, sharing the opinion that the introduction of infrastructure for hydropower would detract from that value and thus negatively influence satisfaction with their experience of the area. Tourism operators are aware of this perception by visitors, and the strong drawcard of an area that is perceived as undeveloped. For similar planning processes, both within Iceland and other countries, we recommend that: • longitudinal monitoring of visitor and operator (host) satisfaction is undertaken to determine the potential effects of the introduction of hydropower infrastructure on recreational experience, • visitors are included as stakeholders in decision making about the development of natural areas, and • the opinions of all stakeholders are sought and considered when making decisions about land use options.
    View less >
    Journal Title
    JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM-RESEARCH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
    Volume
    25
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2018.09.003
    Copyright Statement
    © 2018 Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providing that the work is properly cited.
    Subject
    Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/383088
    Collection
    • Journal articles

    Footer

    Disclaimer

    • Privacy policy
    • Copyright matters
    • CRICOS Provider - 00233E
    • TEQSA: PRV12076

    Tagline

    • Gold Coast
    • Logan
    • Brisbane - Queensland, Australia
    First Peoples of Australia
    • Aboriginal
    • Torres Strait Islander