Liam David Graham Smith

Place attachment and pro-environmental behaviour in national parks: the development of a conceptual framework

This paper critically examines the concept of place attachment and its likely influence on pro-environmental behavioural intention of visitors. It considers place attachment as a multidimensional construct comprising place dependence, place identity, place affect and place social bonding, and suggests that research investigating this relationship in a national park context is fragmented, scattered and often does not fully consider its multidimensional nature. A coherent and integrated approach is needed to advance the field. By considering place attachment as an attitude and acknowledging the close relationship between attitude and behavioural intention when both are directed towards a particular object or environment, the paper develops a conceptual framework that integrates the different place attachment sub-constructs. It presents their relationship to pro-environmental behavioural intention as a series of propositions. The framework further considers place satisfaction to exert a direct influence on visitors’ pro-environmental behavioural intentions in national parks and a moderating effect on the relationship between the different place constructs and pro-environmental behavioural intentions in parks. Finally, the latter construct is proposed to influence visitors’ general pro-environmental behavioural intentions. The papers theoretical contributions, its limitations and its practical implications for sustainable tourism in general and national park management in particular are discussed.

Relationships between place attachment, place satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviour in an Australian national park

Place attachment is a multidimensional construct comprising place dependence, place affect, place identity, and place social bonding. Yet, studies investigating the relationships between place attachment, place satisfaction, and pro-environmental behaviour have not investigated its pluralistic nature. Using data from 452 visitors to the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Australia, this study investigates these four dimensions of place attachment and their relationships with place satisfaction and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Findings suggest that the four place attachment constructs are significantly associated with place satisfaction. Results suggest that it is necessary to consider pro-environmental behavioural intentions as a two-factor structure construct, comprising low and high effort pro-environmental behaviour. Place satisfaction is associated with low effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Place affect is significantly associated with both types of environmental behavioural intentions. Place identity is not associated with either type of environmental behavioural intentions. A significant association is also noted between low effort and high effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Practical applications of the study include marketing aimed at encouraging repeat visitation, with sophisticated message development and delivery building emotional attachment, a sense of belonging, and enhanced personal meaning. Heritage interpretation could use affect and emotion to enhance visitor satisfaction and experience, coupled with an outcomes-focused communication plan.

A Closer Examination of the Impact of Zoo Visits on Visitor Behaviour

Zoos suggest that they can play a role in fostering conservation behaviour, but there is only limited research support for such claims. This article examines why there might be a difference between the stated potential for zoos to influence visitor behaviour and existing research findings. The present study utilises a research design, methods and instruments that provide more sensitive measures of conservation behaviour outcomes. In particular, a distinction is made between behaviours that were already known to visitors and new/unknown behaviours. Two behaviours communicated during a bird presentation at an Australian zoo (recycling and removing road kill from the road) were chosen to test. Results include that, 81% of the respondents recalled hearing the conservation actions during the presentation and 54% stated an intention to increase their commitment or start an action. In 38 follow-up telephone interviews six months after their visit, 26 stated that they had started or increased their commitment to an action. However, only three had started a new action and these were actions previously known to them. The results frame a discussion on actions that zoos may wish to target if they wish to communicate more successfully.

Visitor Satisfaction and Place Attachment in National Parks

This study examines the relationships between visitor satisfaction and place attachment. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test competing models of visitor satisfaction and place attachment represented as a (i) unidimensional, (ii) first-order, and (iii) second-order factor. Data were collected from a sample of 525 visitors at the Bruce Peninsula National Park, in the state of Ontario, Canada. Results indicate visitor satisfaction is a better predictor of place attachment as a second-order construct. Findings are discussed with respect to their applied and theoretical relevance. Practical applications of the study include strategies aimed at achieving optimum visitor satisfaction and promoting place attachment in national parks.

Comparing Zoos and the Media as Conservation Educators

ABSTRACT This article attempts to answer two questions: What are the education roles of zoos, and whether other media sources of information made zoos educationally redundant? The approach taken is to evaluate visitor learning in an Australian zoo and determine if, as a result of a bus tour of the zoo, visitors had learned and were able to recall any information on one topic—threats to animals and/or their habitats. Visitors who could recall such information were also asked if they had previously known the information and if so, where they had seen or heard it before. Results reveal that the commentary on the bus tour is performing an educational or information-enhancing role for 40% of visitors, and although the remaining 60% of visitors did not learn any new information, the authors argue that the zoo may still play an educational role through reinforcement or induced learning. The findings of this study support the literature that suggests that media and, in particular, television and documentaries are an important source of information on threats to animals and/or their habitats. However, the authors suggest that media and zoos provide complementary information and should consider joining forces to more effectively reinforce each others messages.

Do zoo visitors attend to conservation messages? A case study of an elephant exhibit

The Trail of the Elephants (ToE) exhibit at Melbourne Zoo in Australia is an example of a new immersion-style exhibit where visitors are immersed in surroundings that represent the type of environment where the observed animal is found in nature. One of the key objectives of ToE is to provide visitors with multiple learning opportunities, particularly about conservation issues. As such, ToE was chosen as a case study to explore the relationship between delivery of conservation messages and how visitors direct their attention to these messages. Analysis revealed that exhibit stay and attention times in ToE were substantially longer than other stay and attention times reported at similar exhibits, and suggestions were made to explain the differences.

The impacts of profound wildlife experiences

ABSTRACT Profound experiences with wildlife have been identified as potential triggers for changing the way people feel and act towards wildlife. However, there has been little systematic research into the impacts of these experiences on the lives of those who experience them. This qualitative study investigated the types and strength of impact associated with profound wildlife experiences. A rigorous process of analysis of in-depth interviews with individuals who self-identified as having had profound wildlife experiences revealed common themes about how they perceived their experience to have impacted their feelings and actions toward the species experienced. Findings ranged from experiences perceived to have had little or no impact to having been a watershed or pivotal moment in their lives. In this latter category, the experience was perceived by interviewees to have led to marked attitudinal impact and behavioral change. It is suggested that there are several potential beneficiaries of profound wildlife experiences, including the human participants themselves, wildlife tourism operators, and the species concerned. Several avenues for future research are outlined.

Citizens as scientists: what influences public contributions to marine research?

Public participation in science is burgeoning, yet little is known about factors that influence potential volunteers. We present results from a national survey of 1,145 marine users to uncover the drivers and barriers to a sightings-based, digital marine citizen science project. Knowledge of marine species is the most significant barrier and driver for participation. Many marine users perceive that they have insufficient knowledge of marine species to contribute to the project, yet they expect to learn more about marine species if they were to participate. Contributing to scientific knowledge is also a strong driver for many marine users to participate.

Visitors or Visits? An Examination of Zoo Visitor Numbers Using the Case Study of Australia

Usually cited in reference to the potential reach of zoo education, one of the popular figures for global zoo visitation is that 600 million people visit zoos annually. However, this number needs clarification on two fronts. First, there are many zoo visitors who are not included in the calculation because they visited a zoo that was not included in the count. Second, it does not take into consideration the people visit either the same or different zoos more than once annually. Using data collected from several sources, including zoo visitors themselves, this article focuses on one country--Australia--that contributes 15.6 million to the visitation total, and contends that the correct number of unique annual zoo visitors to Australian zoos is likely to be between 8 and 10 million. However, rather than suggesting an overemphasis on the potential of zoos for educating visitors, having regular repeat visitors represents a distinct advantage for zoos, allowing for progressive education opportunities.

To re-enact or not to re-enact? investigating the impacts of first- and third-person interpretation at a heritage tourism site

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of first-person street theatre reenactments versus third-person interpretation at a recreated 1850s gold-rush heritage tourism site. Data collected from 357 visitors following 7 different interpretive activities indicated that third-person interpretation produced significantly higher mean respondent ratings than those activities that used first-person interpretation on 6 of 10 cognitive, affective, and behavioral indicators. Further scrutiny revealed that third-person interpretation resulted in higher levels of cognitive and affective outcomes for some visitor audiences when compared to first-person interpretation, but that there was no difference between first- and third-person interpretation on most behavioral outcomes. Both types of interpretation may be needed in order to achieve a full range of visitor outcomes. A multivariate analysis of covariance illustrated the potential implication of activity length in determining visitor outcomes; that is, the longer the activity, the greater impact of interpretation on measured outcomes. Isolating the effect of type of interpretation versus duration requires further research.