Title of Paper

Understanding Gateway Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Management Actions for Increasing Revenues and Dispersing Visitor Use in North Carolina State Parks

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Emily Smith is a second-year master's student in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University. Her thesis examines the potential impact park management actions may have on gateway community stakeholders in North Carolina.

Dr. Whitney Knollenberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on tourism leadership and the influence of policy, planning, and partnerships in sustainable tourism development.

Dr. Erin Seekamp is the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Coastal Resilience and Sustainability (Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management); she also serves as the Director of NC State University’s Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative. Her research focuses on climate adaptation planning that enables transformation of places and heritage values.

Dr. KangJae “Jerry” Lee (이강재: 李康在) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at North Carolina State University. His research focuses include social and environmental justice issues in American public parks, racism, leisure and recreation, and subjective well-being.

Ann Savage is a Tourism Extension Associate in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. She is responsible for creating and supporting resource development and programs that grow prosperous, sustainable tourism opportunities across North Carolina communities.

Abstract (150 Words)

Although North Carolina State Parks (NCSP) have recently experienced record-breaking visitation, proportional funding has not followed, leading to maintenance shortfalls and staffing shortages. The increased demand can also induce challenges such as overcrowding and overuse. Overuse combined with staffing shortages can result in the deterioration of the natural environment and park facilities and a decrease in visitor experience quality. NCSP are exploring management actions (i.e., state resident discounts (differential pricing), amenity pricing, reservation systems, and demand-based pricing) as tools to increase revenue and disperse use. However, altering fee structures or introducing nonfee reservation systems may impact park user behavior, including visitor displacement. This can affect gateway community stakeholders since many, particularly those in the tourism industry, rely on state park visitors to generate revenue. However, the full scope of impacts these management actions may have on gateway community stakeholders is unknown since limited literature exists on the subject. Therefore, before implementing new management actions, it is crucial for NCSP to identify and consider the economic, environmental, and social effects these actions may have on gateway community stakeholders. Utilizing Weber’s theory of formal and substantive rationality (WTFSR) coupled with the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, and social impacts), semi-structured interviews were conducted with gateway community stakeholders to understand their preferred management strategies, motivations for those preferences, and perceived impacts of management actions in NCSP.

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Understanding Gateway Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Management Actions for Increasing Revenues and Dispersing Visitor Use in North Carolina State Parks

Although North Carolina State Parks (NCSP) have recently experienced record-breaking visitation, proportional funding has not followed, leading to maintenance shortfalls and staffing shortages. The increased demand can also induce challenges such as overcrowding and overuse. Overuse combined with staffing shortages can result in the deterioration of the natural environment and park facilities and a decrease in visitor experience quality. NCSP are exploring management actions (i.e., state resident discounts (differential pricing), amenity pricing, reservation systems, and demand-based pricing) as tools to increase revenue and disperse use. However, altering fee structures or introducing nonfee reservation systems may impact park user behavior, including visitor displacement. This can affect gateway community stakeholders since many, particularly those in the tourism industry, rely on state park visitors to generate revenue. However, the full scope of impacts these management actions may have on gateway community stakeholders is unknown since limited literature exists on the subject. Therefore, before implementing new management actions, it is crucial for NCSP to identify and consider the economic, environmental, and social effects these actions may have on gateway community stakeholders. Utilizing Weber’s theory of formal and substantive rationality (WTFSR) coupled with the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, and social impacts), semi-structured interviews were conducted with gateway community stakeholders to understand their preferred management strategies, motivations for those preferences, and perceived impacts of management actions in NCSP.