Research in Nature Turism

Our research in nature tourism comprises tourist’s motives, activities, and preferences, industry and community attitudes, and the existing and potential experience opportunities.

 

The aim is to form a scientific basis for ensuring sustainable development of tourism and a balanced use of nature and local communities is important.

 

Nature is a key attraction factor in Danish tourism and particularly the coastal areas are popular among tourists. Tourists in Denmark primarily use nature for day-visits while few take overnight tours into nature.

 

As a commercial activity generating approx. 72.7 billion Danish kroner in turn-over and creating employment of approx. 126.890 full time equivalent jobs in Denmark, the tourism industry is increasingly looking for new experience opportunities to renew the industry. Some of these new opportunities are related to nature.

 

Our key research themes are:

 

• What are the motives, uses and preferences in relation to nature by tourists? How can we map and analysie nature and landscape experiences for tourists (GIS)?

• What are the impacts and benefits of tourism on local communities and which coping strategies can be used?

• How does tourists use and percept nature and cultural interpretative facilities (incl. museums)?

• How can physical planning and regional development support tourism facilities? How can concepts like Sustainable tourism be a guideline for a balanced relation between nature and tourism?

• What are the indicators of sustainable tourism?

• How can we develop and test new nature and landscape experiences for tourists?

The tourism research provides a research-based knowledge supporting policy, planning and management of nature and landscapes and stimulated new experience opportunities.

 

Researchers Berit C. Kaae Senior Researcher   Ole Hjorth Caspersen Senior Researcher   Mathilde Vædele Juel Jensen Lecturer   Bibi Edinger Plum

PhD Students Anton S. Olafsson

 

Collaboration

An integrated part of our research is the exchange of good practices with other Nordic and EU regions.

 

Internationally, we cooperate with the Nordic Council of Ministers , the European COST-collaboration, and several EU-projects: ERNEST Network for… and SLU and Högskolan I Kristiansstad Öreferie …….

 

In Denmark, we collaborate with Skov- og Naturstyrelsen, CBS, og Friluftsrådet,