Diploma Thesis from the year 2001 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: Good, Klagenfurt University (OPM (Organisations-, Personal- und Managemententwicklung)), language: English, abstract: 1 Introduction „In order to sustain our global environment and improve the quality of living in our human settlements, we commit ourselves to sustainable patterns of production, consumption, transportation and settlement development, pollution prevention, respect for the carrying capacity of eco-systems, and the preservation of opportunities for future generations“(1) (Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, June 1996). National Parks in the United States and almost all over the world are being subjected to a paradigm shift in park conservation and management. In the early years of National Parks, conservation strategies and management actions were based on a belief that parks were static landscapes, isolated from human activities and adjacent lands, and that they were meant solely for the pleasure of visitors. Attempts to resolve system dysfunctions - wrought by erroneous views and the consequences of subsequent management policies, such as predator removal and fire suppression - were approached one species at a time. Today, this paradigm is slowly shifting to a knowledge-based understanding of ecosystems as es now recognize the need to include people as part of the system and to address causes, rather than symptoms, of system dysfunction by managing whole ecosystems, not just single species. However, National Park Management is not just limited to conservation strategies. National Park Management includes a widespread variety of management activities such as the most essential activities like park system planning, land protection, natural resource management (biological resource management, fire management, water resource management, air resource management, geologic resource management, soundscape and lightscape management), cultural resource management (e.g. archeological resources, cultural landscape, ethnographic resources, historic structures), wilderness preservation and management, interpretation and education, tourism/visitor management, and park facilities management. It is clear that in each park the emphasis of management activities should be adapted to the needs of the park, its problems and challenges. However, the next generation of park managers will need to be able to tolerate ambiguity, manage change, manage tourism patterns, set and communicate priorities, handle controversy, and understand political processes. [...]

This book describes the state of the art of tourism planning and management in national parks and protected areas. It also provides guidelines for best practice in tourism operations. Other objectives are to: Describe case studies and guidelines that contribute to conservation of biological diversity; consider the role of local communities within or near these areas; outline the development of tourism infrastructure and services; discuss visitor management; provide guidelines to enhance the quality of the tourism experience. The focus is global and the book will appeal to both academics and practitioners.

In 1872 Yellowstone was established as a National Park. The name caught the public’s imagination and by the close of the century, other National Parks had been declared, not only in the USA, but also in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Yet as it has spread, the concept has evolved and diversified. In the absence of any international controlling body, individual countries have been free to adapt the concept for their own physical, social and economic environments. Some have established national parks to protect scenery, others to protect ecosystems or wildlife. Tourism has also been a fundamental component of the national parks concept from the beginning and predates ecological justifications for national park establishment though it has been closely related to landscape conservation rationales at the outset. Approaches to tourism and visitor management have varied. Some have stripped their parks of signs of human settlement, while increasingly others are blending natural and cultural heritage, and reflecting national identities. This edited volume explores in detail, the origins and multiple meanings of National Parks and their relationship to tourism in a variety of national contexts. It consists of a series of introductory overview chapters followed by case study chapters from around the world including insights from the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Spain, France, Sweden, Indonesia, China and Southern Africa. Taking a global comparative approach, this book examines how and why national parks have spread and evolved, how they have been fashioned and used, and the integral role of tourism within national parks. The volume’s focus on the long standing connection between tourism and national parks; and the changing concept of national parks over time and space give the book a distinct niche in the national parks and tourism literature. The volume is expected to contribute not only to tourism and national park studies at the upper level undergraduate and graduate levels but also to courses in international and comparative environmental history, conservation studies, and outdoor recreation management.

Peripheral area tourism is a subject which is assuming increasing significance in both the academic and professional fields, particularly with respect to the conflicts over the use of policies and management.

Endorsed by The International Ecotourism Society, Sustainable Tourism & The Millennium Development Goals: Effecting Positive Change demonstrates how ecotourism and sustainable tourism can assist in supporting and meeting the goals set forward by the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and how it can foster a global partnership for development. The text discusses how ecotourism and sustainable tourism can assist in supporting and meeting the MDG by drawing on case studies and examples. The final summary chapter discusses how ecotourism and sustainable tourism can assist in supporting and meeting the MDG by 2015 and identifies the challenges and goals that need to be considered in the future. In this edition you will find: - Historical perspective of the development of ecotourism and sustainable tourism - The Millennium Development Goals defined - Overview of how ecotourism and sustainable tourism can assist in meeting the goals of the MDG - Engaging case studies and examples to reinforce the concept

IUCN's Protected Areas Management Categories, which classify protected areas according to their management objectives, are today accepted as the benchmark for defining, recording, and classifying protected areas. They are recognized by international bodies such as the United Nations as well as many national governments. As a result, they are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation. These guidelines provide as much clarity as possible regarding the meaning and application of the Categories. They describe the definition of the Categories and discuss application in particular biomes and management approaches.