"Tourism and Natural Protected Areas" considers the evolving relationship between tourism and protected natural areas, such as Yellowstone National Park. The contributions selected are papers that were presented at relevant conferences organized by the Wessex Institute of Technology.
Since their creation in 1872, most 'protected natural areas' have been considered as probably the greatest achievement of nature conservation. Many countries have such spaces within their territories and many visitors, native or foreign, use some of their free time to get to know them. In this sense these spaces undertake to conserve nature and educate society and give us a type of cultural tourism that has grown considerably in recent decades.
Cultural tourism today specifically includes, along with cities, museums, monuments and rural traditions, the aim of 'getting to know nature'. Protected natural areas are ideal for this. The tourism industry has realized this and so the value of the landscape and natural resources is becoming increasingly recognized. This is a welcome development and represents a challenge for tourism management, for environmental education and for dissemination of nature and conservation.
