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Abstract |
The tourism industry in Iceland is of significant economic importance to the country and, until global travel restrictions in 2020, the number of visitors to natural areas was continuing to grow. Corresponding with this increase is the need to effectively manage tourists to ensure safe and responsible experiences that are as socially, economically and environmentally sustainable as possible. This management includes decisions about interpretation – what information to provide for tourists and the most effective way to deliver that information to them. This presentation will report on part of a project conducted at Asbyrgi, in the northern section of Icelands Vatnajökull National Park. The parks managers are cognisant that Tourism in national parks is essentially about providing memorable nature-based experiences for visitors (Weiler et al., 2019) and want to provide those experiences without disturbing the plant and animal life in the park. To achieve this, they are keen to implement interpretation that aims to stimulate interest, promote learning, guide visitors in appropriate behaviour for sustainable tourism and encourage enjoyment and satisfaction (Moscardo et al. 2004). |
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