Page 159 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

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‘stakeholders’ in the developing world do not entirely management driven along with a wider
expect to participate in the environmental planning stakeholder education programme that fosters
process. interest, respect and other appropriate attitudes
This planning approach would involve defining towards the environment.
park areas in relation to intensity of use, identifying
indicators to monitor key environmental and What can be done to build the
social conditions, conducting a survey of current Sibayak volcano experience as
conditions within the park and setting standards
to establish the limits of acceptable change. The a sustainable international
VIM aspect involves steps to identify the probable geotourism attraction?
cause(s) of an identified impact and the appropriate
management actions required (Newsome et al, Understanding tourism activities
2002). Such a framework could take into account The management of natural areas is dependent on
the heavy use of the area while also aiding in the knowledge of visitor use and activities (Buckley
identification of key sources of impact and required and Pannell, 1990; Newsome et al, 2002). The
actions. Of course this system, as with any style of nature and degree of environmental impacts will
management, will only be as successful as the vary according to the specific type of activities,
quality of the resources and personnel assigned to numbers of visitors and temporal/spatial aspects of
implement it. visitation. It is therefore important to collect visitor
The problem with applying such a planning information in the form of surveys, interviews or
framework to Sibayak is in accounting for the by direct observation of visitor activities.
strong emphasis on socialization and general lack The significance of collecting visitor
of interest in conserving or aesthetically information lies in the data being able to inform a
appreciating the environment. This situation is management plan. Watson (2008), who reported
problematic because the area might be just a on visitor surveys conducted in Nambung National
backdrop to social activities rather than the focus Park, Western Australia, found that 53 per cent of
of attention itself. This must mean that higher visitors were on a day trip from Perth and that 80
levels of disturbance and degradation will be per cent were from interstate or overseas and 61
acceptable to visitors (than say in Australian per cent were on a tour. He also found that
protected areas) but these higher levels at the same geological formations, scenery, the opportunity to
time are detrimental to the ecological, aesthetic learn and the unspoilt nature of the Pinnacles
and geo-heritage integrity of the park. A situation Desert in Nambung National Park were key
where domestic visitors apparently don’t care attracting features. Such information about visitor
whether their geological heritage is maintained or interests is able to inform management about the
not but just to have somewhere to go and socialize application of site infrastructure, the management
away from the city implies that a framework of peak visitor loads and educational activities that
looking at ‘acceptable change’ from the visitors or could be implemented to enhance the visitor
park use point of view will not work to conserve experience.
ecological processes. So a balance must somehow Visitor surveys conducted in Bako National
be achieved between allowing park use as a social Park, Sarawak by Chin et al (2000) found that 76
venue and restricting impacts to preserve its per cent enjoyed hiking, 72 per cent engaged in
geological attributes. In addition to this there is sightseeing and 61 per cent took photographs.
the key issue of adequate funding, as at present it Respondents also indicated that enjoying nature
appears that Sibayak Park does not have the staff (78 per cent), learning about nature (70 per cent)
and resources to properly implement a framework. and viewing scenery rated to be very to extremely
Implementation will also rely on suitably informed important. Chin et al (2000) maintain that such
and motivated park management. In such a case visitor preferences are strongly dependent on the
the setting of standards and indicators could be quality of the natural environment. Perceptions of

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