Sozioökonomisches Monitoring bewegungsorientierter Aktivitäten in Großschutzgebieten: Fallbeispiel Nationalpark Eifel

Who is visiting the Eifel Nationalpark, what activities are pursued and how can the touristic behavior be characterized? Which effects on regional economy are generated by the expenses of tourists and how do tourism service providers manage new trends and challenges? Is it possible to measure the importance of a protected area as a recreation area?
By answering these questions, a deep and differentiated understanding of touristic circumstances in protected areas, in which tourism promotion has to be harmonized with protection and conservation issues, will be generated. Using triangulation as research design, the touristic circumstances in the region of the Eifel Nationalpark were analyzed. In a first step, an extensive visitor survey at 43 entrances was carried out to generate a differentiated review of the demand side. Secondly, cycling-tourism service providers were interviewed to contrast their perceptions of this developable touristic segment to the demand side. Thirdly, the touristic impacts were evaluated by means of a touristic effect analysis adapted to the special circumstances in the Eifel Nationalpark. In this context, differences concerning the impacts of touristic behavior of national park-oriented tourists and non-national park-oriented tourists were illustrated. These conclusions could demonstrate an evolution with respect to results of a study realized in 2007 (Job et al., 2007). Furthermore, different expenditure patterns by different groups of tourists separated by activities were analyzed for the first time in a recreation area. Fourth, adapting the travel cost method to the special circumstances at the Eifel Nationalpark, the recreation value was identified. Using this method, the valuation of the recreation service could explicitly illustrate a use-linked ecosystem service.
Overall, the touristic situation of the Eifel Nationalpark is well on its way. The number of tourists has well increased in the first eleven years since its foundation and meanwhile approximately 870.000 visitors a year can be counted. It is remarkable, that more and more national park-oriented tourists visit the Eifel Nationalpark. This study could identify, that half of the tourists are national park-oriented. The touristic creation of value increased equally well and is above average in comparison to the other German national parks. The touristic value creation chain provided a full time job equivalent of 674 persons.
Abstract in English language
Walkers were most free-spending by spending 113,89 € in average per person a day. Cyclists spent least. This is connected to their preference to spend their nights on campgrounds.
Locals identified themselves to a large part with their national park and were appreciative of the management issues required to administer the park.
The cycling-tourism service providers attest a pulling power to the Nationalpark for the touristic sector of the region. Concerning the hiking tourism, the park is already that important. Advancing the cycling tourism, the focus has to be tightened. Therefor, the experts demand on the one hand an improved communication of existing cycling-touristic products and the adaption of local business hours to the demands of the cycling tourists. On the other hand, they claim a connection to supraregional outstanding projects like the Vennbahnradweg and the link of mountaineous regions to the cycle tracks along the rivers.
The recreation value of the Eifel Nationalpark could be estimated to 2.119.358 €. This is more than three times the value of the (calculated) operating value of the park’s area. Given the fact that 93,1% of the tourists visit the national park for recreational reasons, identifying the recreational value seems to highly justify such a use-linked ecosystem service “recreation”.