Environmental Values, Behaviours and Perceptions of Impact among Nature-based Adventure Tourism Employees in the Tsitsikamma, Eastern Cape

Julia Kathryn GiddyNelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversitySupervisor: Dr. Nigel Webb

Aim

To provide a background of the environmental values and behaviours of nature-based adventure tourism employees and how this relates to their perceptions of impact.

Objectives

Assess the environmental values of adventure tourism employees using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale

Determine behaviours taken by employees to minimize environmental damage

Analyze employee perceptions of environmental impact caused by the activities and suggestions for improvement

Identify differences in the above by company of employment

Adventure Tourism

“A broad spectrum of outdoor touristic activities, often commercialized and involving and interaction with the natural environment away from the participants’ home range and containing elements of risk” (Hall 1992)

Ecotourism vs Adventure Tourism Adventure tourism requires elements of risk and uncertainty

Hard v Soft Adventure Real vs Perceived Risk Challenge Locus of Control Competence/Skill Requirements Examples

Hard: Helisking, scuba diving, bungee jumping, sky diving, white water rafting, mountaineering

Soft: Camping, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, ziplining, wildlife watching, snorkelling

Rogerson Challenges of developing adventure tourism in South Africa (2007)

Literature Review

New Ecological Paradigm Dunlap and Liere (1978) Dunlap et al (2000)

Revised NEP Environmental Values in Tourism

Kim, Borges and Chon (2006) Impacts of Nature-based Tourism

Buckley (2004,2008, 2010), Perceptions of Impact

Manning et al (2008)

FrameworksDowns (1970)

Pomfret (2006)Constantino et al (2003)

M ountaineering Recreation and

Tourism Push Factors

M ountaineering

M ountaineering AdventureTourism

M ountaineering AdventureRecreation

PersonalPerceptionsof Adventure

Key Influences on M ountaineering Participation

M ountaineering Recreation and

Tourism Pull Factors

Personality Characteristics of M ountaineers

Lifestyles of M ountaineers

Key Influences on M ountaineering Adventure Tourism Participation

Tourism Pull Factors Tourism Push Factors

Em otional States Experienced During M ountaineering

2

1

3

Tourism Information

Adventure Tourism Push/Pull Factors

Perceptions of Adventure

Decision Activity

Impact

Environment

Human Environment

Approach

With

draw

al

Adventure Tourism Human-Environment Interaction Framework

Study Area

Study Area

Research Design

Operators Face Adrenalin Storms River

Adventures Mild2Wild Tsitsikamma Falls

Adventures Tube n Axe

Activities Bungy Jump Canopy Tours Blackwater tubing Zipline

Methodology

Data collection: Field work in Storms River Village Quantitative data Self-administered Questionnaires

Multiple choice 5-point Likert-type scale

Qualitative Data Interviews with Owners/Managers

Questionnaire

Environmental Values Revised NEP

Likert-type scale questions Environmental Behaviours

While on-site Outside of Work

Multiple choice Perceptions of Impact

Environmental Impact Indicators Multiple choice

Suggestions for Improvement Multiple choice

Results

Fieldwork in Storms River Village (n=42) Face Adrenalin (m=21) Storms River Adventures (n=8) Mild2Wild (n=2) Tsitsikamma Falls Adventures (n=7) Tube ‘n Axe (n=4)

NEP Statements1. We are approaching the limit of the number of people the Earth can support.2. Humans have the right to change the natural environment to get what they need.3. When humans interfere with nature it often leads to negative consequences.4. Human skills/resourcefulness will make sure that Earth will always be liveable.5. Humans are seriously abusing the environment.6. The Earth has lots of natural resources if we just learn how to develop them.7. Plants and animals have as much right as humans to exist.8. The balance of nature is strong enough to deal with the impacts of modern

development and technology.9. Despite our special skills, humans are still affected by the laws of nature.10. The idea of “global warming” facing humans has been greatly exaggerated.11. The Earth only has a certain amount of space and resources.12. Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature.13. The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset.14. Humans will eventually learn enough about how nature works to be able to control it.15. If things continue like they are now, we will soon experience a major natural

disaster.

Results: NEP

NEP CategoriesStatement Mean STD AVG

Reality of Limits to Growth Q1 3.46 1.00 2.93Q6 1.67 0.58Q11 3.65 0.74

Anti-anthropocentrism Q2 3.32 1.38 3.66Q7 4.56 0.72Q12 3.10 1.17

Fragility of nature’s balance Q3 3.79 0.96 3.45Q8 2.90 1.05Q13 3.65 0.89

Rejection of exceptionalism Q4 2.42 1.03 2.88Q9 3.71 0.78Q14 2.53 1.09

Possibility of an eco-crisis Q5 3.45 0.76 3.37

Q10 2.75 0.95Q15 3.90 0.78

Results: NEPCompany (n) Mean NEP Standard

DeviationFace Adrenalin (20)

3.180.22

Storms River Adventures (8)

3.270.41

Mild2Wild (2) 3.54 0.86Tsitsikamma Falls Adventures (7)

3.22

0.28

Tube ‘n Axe (4)

3.57 0.62

TOTAL 3.26 0.36

Results: NEP

Authors Country Type of Population

Mean NEP

Giddy (2013) South Africa AT Employees 3.26

Kim, Borges, and Chon (2006)

Brazil Tourists 3.59

Johnson et al. (2004) (1)

USA African-American

3.61

Johnson et al. (2004) (2)

USA Anglo-American 3.68

Schultz, Unipan, and Gamba (2000)

USA Blue Collar Workers

2.75

Hall and Moran (2006)

UK Environmentalists

4.13

Results: Behaviours Outside of Work

RECYCLING

BUYING ENVIRON. PRODUCTS

MIN. ELEC.

ENVIRON. TRANSPORT

SUPPORT CONSERVATION

MIN. FOSSIL FUELS

PARTCIPATION IN CONSERVATION

WATER CONSERVATION

0

5

10

15

20

25

Results: Behaviours On-Site

BUNGY CANOPY MILD2WILD TSITSI FALLS

TUBE N AXE0

2

4

6

8

10

12

ENSURING PROPER VISITOR BEHAVIORMIN. DAMAGE TO ENVIRON.EDUCATING VISITORSLITTER THROWN OUTRECYCLING

Company

Numb

er of

Resp

onse

s

Results: Nature of Impact

BUNGY CANOPY MILD2WILD TSITSI FALLS

TUBE N AXE0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

IMPACT ON PLANTS

IMPACT ON WILDLIFE

USE OF RESOURCES

LITTER

TOO MANY PEOPLE

SOUND POLLUTION

TOO MANY STRUCTURES/BUILDINGS

Company

Numb

er of

Resp

onse

s

Results: Suggestions for Improvement

BUNGY CANOPY MILD2WILD TSITSI FALLS TUBE N AXE0

1

2

3

4

5

6

DEC. GROUP SIZES

INC. ENVIRON EDUCATION

ALLOWING LESS PEOPLE

BUILDING MORE ENVIRON FRIENDLY FACILITIES

DEC. LITTER

RECYCLE

Company

Numb

er o

f Re

spon

ses

Conclusions

AT employees in the Tsitstikamma tend to have pro-environment values rather than pro-social dominance

On-site behaviours: throwing out litter ensuring participants behave properly towards the environment

Behaviours outside of work: minimizing electricity use recycling

The nature of the impacts associated with the activities varied significantly between companies

Suggestions for improvement: Numerous, discrepancies between companies Increasing environmental education

References

Buckley, R. (2008). Environmental impacts of ecotourism. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publ. Buckley, R. (2010). Adventure tourism management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann Costantino C., Falcitelli F., Femia A., Tuolini A., OECD-Workshop, Paris, (May 14–16, 2003). Downs, R.M. (1970)  Geographic Space Perception: Past Approaches and Future Prospects.  Progress in Geography 2, 65-

108 Dunlap R.E. & Van Liere , K.D. (1978). The new environmental paradigm Journal of Environmental Education, vol.

9 , 10–19 Dunlap R.E. et al. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: a revised NEP scale Journal of

Social Issues, vol. 56, 425–442 Hall, C. M & Weiler, B., (1992). Adventure, Sport and Health Tourism. Special interest tourism. London: Belhaven

Press. Hall C. & Moran D. (2006). Investigating GM risk perceptions: a survey of anti-GM and environmental campaign

group members Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 22, 29–37 Johnson C.Y. , Bowker J., Cordell H.K., (2004). Ethnic variation in environmental belief and behavior: an

examination of the new ecological paradigm in a social psychological context Environment and Behavior, vol. 36, 157–186 Kim et al (2006). Impacts of environmental values on tourism motivation: The case of FICA, Brazil. Tourism

Management, vol 27, 957-967. Manning et al (2008) in Buckley, R. (2008). Environmental impacts of ecotourism. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publ. Schultz, P.W. et al (2000). A multinational perspective on the relation between Judeo–Christian religious

beliefs and attitudes of environmental concern Environment and Behavior, vol. 32, 576–591 Pomfret, G. (2006). Mountaineering adventure tourists: a conceptual framework for research. Tourism Management,

vol. 27(1), 113-123. Rogerson, C. (2007). The challenges of developing adventure tourism in South Africa. Africa Insight, vol. 37(2), 228-

244. Swarbrooke, J., Beard, C., Leckie, S., & Pomfret, G. (2003). Adventure tourism: the new frontier. Oxford: Butterworth-

Heinemann.

Thank You.Questions?