Puhakka , R , Pitkänen , K & Siikamäki , P 2017 , ' The Health and Well-Being Impacts of Protected Areas in Finland ' , Journal of Sustainable Tourism , vol. 25 , no. 12 , pp. 1830-1847 . https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1243696
Title: | The Health and Well-Being Impacts of Protected Areas in Finland |
Alternative title: | Suojelualueiden terveys- ja hyvinvointivaikutukset Suomessa |
Author: | Puhakka, Riikka; Pitkänen, Kati; Siikamäki, Pirkko |
Contributor organization: | Environmental Sciences Nature-Based Solutions |
Date: | 2017-11-09 |
Language: | eng |
Number of pages: | 18 |
Belongs to series: | Journal of Sustainable Tourism |
ISSN: | 0966-9582 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1243696 |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10138/307309 |
Abstract: | Following the growth of nature-based tourism, national parks and other protected areas have become important tourist attractions and tools for regional development. Meanwhile, research on the impact of nature on human health and well-being is increasing and taken into account in park management. This study examines health and well-being benefits perceived by visitors to Finland's protected areas. It is based on survey data from five national parks and one strict nature reserve in 2013–2015: an on-site visitor survey (N = 3152) and an Internet-based health and well-being survey (N = 1054). The study indicates that visitors’ perceived benefits to their well-being were highly positive. Visits to protected areas promoted psychological, physical, and social benefits. In particular, park visits were found to provide strong and multi-faceted, long-lasting, embodied and sensory well-being experiences as well as escape from everyday life and work. Overnight visitors reported more well-being benefits than day visitors, and different types of park had different well-being benefits. The study suggests that the potential benefits of protected areas for public health are significant, emphasizing the need to integrate health and well-being arguments into the neoliberalist politics assessing the economic benefits of protected areas and their role in regional development. |
Subject: |
1172 Environmental sciences
Nature-based tourism Protected areas National parks Health Well-Being Finland Nature-based tourism Protected areas National parks Health Well-being Finland |
Peer reviewed: | Yes |
Usage restriction: | openAccess |
Self-archived version: | acceptedVersion |
Total number of downloads: Loading...
Files | Size | Format | View |
---|---|---|---|
puhakka_pitk_nen_siikam_ki_final_draft.pdf | 633.8Kb |
View/ |