Nature tourists’ concern for the environment and response to ecolabels in Oulanka National Park

Abstract

National parks and other protected areas attract increasingly tourists in Finland, which highlights the importance of sustainable tourism. Various international initiatives, ecolabels and certification programs, such as PAN Parks in Europe, have been introduced to promote sustainable nature-based tourism. Often tourists are also given responsibility to prevent negative impacts of their activities. This paper examines the role of nature tourists in developing sustainable tourism in protected areas: How concerned are they for the environment? How do they consider environmental aspects when travelling? How do they respond to tourism ecolabels and certifications? The paper is based on concurrent interview and survey studies conducted in Oulanka National Park, one of the certified PAN Parks in Finland. The paper indicates that only a small proportion of tourists are highly concerned for the environment and interested in ecolabels, and aim at travelling in an environmentally responsible way. Nature tourists’ lack of response to ecolabels and environmentally friendly behavior undermines their role in developing sustainable tourism. Therefore, the study results emphasize the role of regulation, incentives and guidance in implementing ecological, socio-cultural and economic sustainability in tourism companies and destinations.