A synthesis and analysis of research on visitors to public conservation areas in Australia and New Zealand 1995-2010

Increasing the participation of domestic and overseas visitors in recreation and tourism activities in public conservation areas is a key goal for protected area agencies. To help contribute to this goal, the present study, funded by the Department of Conservation (New Zealand), investigated and reviewed the literature on outdoor recreation and tourism (nature-based, eco- and heritage tourism), focusing on visitor demand for and participation at public conservation areas, and the segmentation of those visitors. Two reviews were undertaken, of the New Zealand literature and of the Australian literature, resulting in the compilation of two extensive bibliographies comprising nearly 600 entries. A critical goal of the project was to compare the nature-based tourism research undertaken in New Zealand, with that undertaken in Australia. This paper provides a synthesis of the information gathered by this research project, comparing the types of studies undertaken in New Zealand and Australia, and identifying key gaps in knowledge