| What are the impacts of nature-based tourism (NBT) participation on people's environmental knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors and future intentions, and why do they occur? Proponents of nature-based tourism (NBT) suggest that through tour design and interpretation the industry can mitigate tourism's negative impacts, both human and environmental, and build an educated and interested group of participants willing to support environmental conservation on site and at home. Similarly, for the management of protected areas, land management agencies rely on nature-based tourism operators to provide interpretational services designed to educate the public and minimize visitor induced site degradation. But how effective are these efforts? To study the potential educational and psycho-social benefits derived from nature-based tourism participation, three protected areas and NBT destinations---the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park, Galapagos Islands National Park, and Antarctica---were selected for their unique operational variables and high level of visitation. By drawing upon over 1000 participants and 22 operators from the three destinations, the results provide information for the planning and development of tourism experiences that build conservation support, mitigate negative visitor impacts, and improve the tourists' connectivity to the natural world. |
