Protected Areas as Tourism Brands

Project description

Protected areas such as national parks or biosphere reserves are often major tourist attractions, especially in outlying regions. Official protected area categories can serve as tourism brands and act as unique selling points (USPs) for destinations, allowing them to differentiate themselves from competing destinations that lack an official designation. It is often argued that certain designations—such as national parks and World Heritage Sites—have a superior brand identity compared to other, less well-known labels, such as biosphere reserves.
In 2020, the German Institute for Tourism Research conducted a study comparing the strength of various categories of protected areas as tourism brands in the German context. The study now being planned is intended to build on the preliminary study, provide comparative data, and address additional relevant questions that arose during the data analysis—for example, regarding consumer perceptions and knowledge of the differences and objectives of various protected area categories.
The topic is relevant from a scientific perspective and also has significant practical implications. For example, the study’s findings are expected to help bring a more objective perspective to the often emotionally charged discussions surrounding the designation of new protected areas. The planned study aims to examine and compare the strength of various protected area categories in accordance with the brand equity approach, and it will be conducted through a representative panel survey in Germany (standardized questionnaire).