Perception of and attitudes towards a new Swiss biosphere reserve – a comparison of residents’ and visitors’ views. eco.mont (Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research)|eco.mont Vol. 3 No. 2 3 2|

Almost all protected areas nowadays rely on the sound support of the local population. More than for every other type of nature reserve, this might be the case for UNESCO biosphere reserves. A participatory and transparent approach that takes into consideration the views of all stakeholders involved is crucial for the successful progress of the project. In 2007 we interviewed 191 residents and 178 visiting tourists in the Val Müstair (Canton of Grisons, Switzerland) with standardized questionnaires to analyse acceptance of the – at that time – proposed biosphere reserve (BR). Both groups perceived the landscape of the study region similarly but had different demands regarding the BR. While tourists had a rather emotional approach, residents clearly had more hopes for economic benefits generated through the project. However, the way the residents intend to attain these benefits fits in well with the ideas of sustainable tourism promoted by BRs. Therefore we consider this gap to be easily bridged, with both groups agreeing on a successful regional marketing for the Val Müstair BR – Swiss National Park in the future