| Summary: | Keller, R.& Engen, S. 2022. Perceptions of human waste mitigation in Kvalvika, Lofotodden National Park: A mixed method study of visitor impacts, behaviors, and waste mitigation preferences. NINA Rapport 2238. Norsk institutt for naturforskning The vital importance of national parks in Norway provisioning recreation values and friluftsliv experiences and underpinning local economic value creation is uncontested. In 2022, the number of jobs in Norway related to provisioning nature-based tourism services in communities near national parks and other natural attractions was 170 000, a 35% increase in jobs in this sector from 2000. But with increased tourism comes damages from heavy use, and we aim to understand how to reduce the negative consequences of high tourism and preserve the natural values of the national parks. We first mapped the extent of waste in Kvalvika (in Lofotodden National Park) following the Torsfjorden trail with 30 m wide transects in order to identify hotspots and conduct initial testing of water quality for potential hazards to human health. We also gathered qualitative data on visitor experience from short on-site interviews. We then conducted a broadscale visitor survey guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Azjen 1991) and themes taken from our interviews and discussion with local managers to explore how visitors perceive waste and barriers to changing behavior. TPB suggests that human behaviors are the result of attitudes, norms (social rules of behavior), and perceptions of difficulty (of doing a particular behavior). We also explored through the survey what behaviors were most suited to visitor type with respect to visitor volume. The survey was designed to reveal human waste perception and preferences for management strategies and information modes. We had targeted questions about human waste pack out bags to assess knowledge and likelihood of use. The survey was launched online and in a survey box at the site. In total we collected 556 responses. We additionally cooperated ...
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