Addressing the different information needs of diverse visitors to Arthur’s Pass National Park

WPS;Wilderness;Perceptions;Smartphone;application;DOC;website;domestic;international;visitors;statistics;tourism;carla;vieira;design;icons;iphone;mobile;socila;network;feedback;sharing;information;experiences;environments;conervation;backpack;iSite;Visitor;Centre;Trampers;Non-Purist;Moderate-Purist;Neutralist-Purist;Strong-Purist;Stankey;Kearsley;Lovelock;Highman;Wolch;Tinsley;Recreation;Orokonui-Ecosanctuary;Catlins;Outdoor-recreation;Klisley;Ho;Carr-Williams;Satisfaction;Arthur;;s Pass;New Zealand;National Park

Vieira Avendaño, Carla Catherine ; McGuire, Mark ; Abbott, Mick

University of Otago

关键词: WPS;    Wilderness;    Perceptions;    Smartphone;    application;    DOC;    website;    domestic;    international;    visitors;    statistics;    tourism;    carla;    vieira;    design;    icons;    iphone;    mobile;    socila;    network;    feedback;    sharing;    information;    experiences;    environments;    conervation;    backpack;    iSite;    Visitor;    Centre;    Trampers;    Non-Purist;    Moderate-Purist;    Neutralist-Purist;    Strong-Purist;    Stankey;    Kearsley;    Lovelock;    Highman;    Wolch;    Tinsley;    Recreation;    Orokonui-Ecosanctuary;    Catlins;    Outdoor-recreation;    Klisley;    Ho;    Carr-Williams;    SatisfactionArthur;    ;    s Pass;    New Zealand;    National Park;   

Others  :  https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/bitstream/10523/2548/1/VieiraCarla2012MDes.pdf

美国|英语

来源: Otago University Research Archive

【 摘 要 】

The New Zealand landmass encompasses a vast diversity of wilderness areas, including fourteen national parks and other conservation lands. These natural environments attract a large number of domestic and international visitors, who consult a many different sources of on-line and printed information before and during their visit. However, these resources are usually designed to suit a generic visitor, and take no account of the different needs and expectation of diverse individuals. In this thesis, I investigate the use of information resources by different users groups as categorized by the Wilderness Perception Scaling (WPS) method. I begin with a review of relevant studies and statistics relating to domestic and international visitors’ experiences of the New Zealand wilderness. I then report on the results of my direct observations of visitors to three destinations, and I discuss the findings that I gathered from surveys that I conducted in two of these locations. This work includes pilot studies of two sites — the Catlins Conservation Park and the Orokonui Ecosanctuary — and a more detailed study of Arthur’s Pass National Park. Following a discussion of my observations and findings, I argue for a redesign of the Department of Conservation (DOC) Website, and I present sketch ideas for a new site that is informed by mobile media interface designs. This work hints at future possibilities for smartphone applications. I conclude that current technologies allow us to address the needs and expectations of different visitors to wilderness areas. Furthermore, I argue that mobile media can enable individuals to create and share, as well as download and use, information resources that address their various and different requirements. I conclude that, if we want younger people to engage with wilderness environments, we should be using the technologies that they are using.