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Abstract |
In the process of developing local visitor strategies for the Norwegian Protected Areas within 2020, the intention is to facilitate for better visitor experiences and improve local economies related to tourism, without affecting the conservation values (Norwegian Environment Agency, 2015). Hence, protected areas have become more closely connected to their economic and social environments, with an emphasis on integrating national parks into wider regional and local tourism development processes (e.g., Hidle, 2019; Puhakka & Saarinen, 2013). This case study involves a mountain municipality with two of the largest national parks in Norway, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella and Rondane-Dovre. More than 73% of the municipalitys area has protection status. As protection regulations restrict tourism development within the borders of the park, the governmental policy is to encourage tourism development in the edge zones. However, recently the government has asked each national park to develop individual visitor strategies in order to allow for extended tourism activities within the borders of the national park. Tourism development is welcomed in mountain communities that experiences depopulation and shrinking job opportunities. Local inhabitants do on the one hand resent the protections regulations as it put restriction on how the protected areas were used traditionally, and on the other hand they are concerned that increased tourism inside the park will prioritize the needs of visitors more than of the local inhabitants. |
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