VIMOMA

Experience design and nature conservation via VIsitor MOnitoring and MAnagement in protected areas



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VIsitor MOnitoring and MAnagement in protected areas - VIMOMA


VIsitor MOnitoring and MAnagement in protected areas - VIMOMA

The ‘Experience design and nature conservation via VIsitor MOnitoring and MAnagement in protected areas - VIMOMA’ project aims to connect researchers and relevant stakeholders to make protected areas more efficient in nature conservation and visitor management in both Visegrad (V4) and Western Balkans (WB) countries.

The natural environment brings a range of benefits, such as relaxation, recreation, health, and socialising. Natural areas have always been popular destinations all over the world; nevertheless, visitor numbers in natural areas are undergoing steady increases — especially more so as an outcome of the pandemic, which rendered people in distinct degrees of confinement for an extended period of time — and such a trend may easily lead to overloading sensitive areas.

Thus, VIMOMA aims to address this problem by developing a framework methodology for visitor monitoring and management — an approach which is neither widespread nor much used throughout the V4 and WB regions.

Through the organisation of workshops and field trips in each of the five participating countries, the project will give an opportunity to professionals, policymakers, national park managers, and other stakeholders to share their experience and expertise, while also developing guidelines for visitor monitoring and shared, common positions related to appropriate Protected Area (PA) management.

Lead Project Coordinator: Joanna Hibner, Jagiellonian University - Faculty of Geography and Geology
Contact e-mail: joanna.hibner@uj.edu.pl

Background

Currently, 55 % of the world’s population lives in cities, with urbanisation trends estimating that the number of people living in urban areas is set to increase to around 70 % by 2050. This tendency, alongside crowdedness, noise and air pollution, and several other factors results in a more stressful and sorrowful life. And as the natural environment brings a range of benefits, the development of active tourism in natural areas is especially and increasingly perceived in close vicinity to urban spaces. Hence, the current trend may lead to an overload of ‘sensitive areas’ — both affecting nature and the visitor's experience negatively.

In order to improve visitors’ experience in natural areas, we need to understand their motivation to visit them and their preferences towards the range of available activities and amenities within them. Furthermore, it is critical to investigate visitors’ spatiotemporal behavioural and movement patterns — which depict the overloading of certain protected and sensitive areas and ecosystems.

Goals & Objectives

  • Prepare a mutual framework of recommendations for policymakers on nature conservation and visitor management.
  • Develop a methodology for visitor monitoring and management.
  • Develop guidelines for sustainable visitor management and the efficient implementation of the aforementioned methodologies.
  • Assisting stakeholders to enhance both the long-term satisfaction of visitors and the quality of the natural environment.

Activities

  • Joint workshops: to be organised in each partner country to share experiences and expertise among professionals, national park managers, and policymakers.
  • Field trips: in the project partners’ pilot areas and national parks to learn about local experiences in visitor monitoring and management.
  • Development of a common position among PAs and with policymakers to have a positive impact on local conservation policies in V4 and WB countries.
  • Research visitors’ spatiotemporal behavioural and movement patterns.
VIsitor MOnitoring and MAnagement in protected areas - VIMOMA
The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.