OMSLAG 5.indd - IUCN

The official protected status for the White Desert is expected in 2007 and
by that time everything will be ready to implement the zoning system. An
association has been founded for the guides who are already active in the
White desert and the guides are currently being trained according to the
management plan. Rangers will be appointed to patrol the zones. Al Hayah
expects that the major problems – proliferation of tyre tracks, litter, and
noise pollution – will be tackled when the zoning system is working.
3. 3.3
Interpretation
Many of the applications for project support that IUCN NL receives, state
that the first aim is to build an information centre. Apparently, it is quite
generally accepted that information is vital when it comes to developing
tourism for conservation purposes. Sharing information about the natural
value of the area not only raises awareness about the need for conservation,
it also enhances the experience of the visitor. Therefore, a tourism site
needs more than just a small information centre with information panels.
Enthusiastic guides or hosts are vital. The importance of training courses
for guides cannot be overestimated. Important training subjects include
ecology, visitor expectations, how to provide information and languages.
Most managers see education and information as key tools for improving
visitor management. In this context, the term ‘interpretation’ is often used.
Interpretation is more than just giving information: apart from listing the
facts, it should reveal the meaning of the various natural phenomena and
the correlation between them. Providing the right information in the right
way can influence the behaviour of visitors and it also adds to the quality
of their experience.
Objectives of interpretation in sustainable tourism
• Enriching the visitor’s experience
• Assisting visitors to develop a keener awareness, appreciation and
understanding of the site they visit
• Encouraging well-considered use of the resource by visitors. This reduces
the need for regulations and distributing visitor pressure to minimize
environmental impact on fragile natural resources
• Promoting public understanding
Figure 6. Objectives of interpretation
Information
signs along
the trails in
Cerro Blanco,
Ecuador
54 55
The following case clearly shows the importance of monitoring, visitor
expectations, information and interpretation. Taiaroa Head, New Zealand,
a designated Flora and Fauna Reserve since 1964, is the only colony of
Royal Albatrosses on the mainland. Taiaroa Head has developed into a main
tourist attraction, welcoming thousands of visitors each year. When Taiaroa
Head first became a reserve, the management was primarily focussed
on conservation. In the beginning, the reserve mainly attracted small
numbers of wildlife specialists, but after the opening of an observatory
and a reception centre in the mid 1980s, there was a change not only
in the number but also in the type of visitors. Especially during the
summer months – a critical stage in the breeding season – the reserve was
visited by more and more tourists from all over the world. This required
special attention from the park management. They have been constantly
monitoring visitor behaviour and satisfaction, as well as the birds’ reactions
and breeding patterns.
The albatrosses reacted in several ways to the human presence. One was
a change in the breeding patterns. The birds started to nest at places
removed from human presence, where they could not be seen. The nesting
conditions at these places were far from optimal, even though albatrosses
are usually extremely exacting in their nest site selection. The rangers also
noticed that the chicks that were born in nests exposed to human presence
began to move off the nests earlier than usual. The chicks moved further
away from their nests and they fledged earlier. The project is supporting the