Tourism, Health, Wellbeing and Protected Areas

Around the world, there is mounting evidence that parks and protected areas contribute to a healthy civil society, thus increasing the economic importance of cultural and nature-based tourism. Operating at the intersection of business and the environment, tourism can improve human health and wellbeing as well as serve as a catalyst for increasing appreciation and stewardship of the natural world. While the revenues from nature-based activities help to make the case for investing in park and protected area management; the impacts they have need to be carefully managed, so that visitors do not destroy the natural wonders that attracted them to a destination in the first place. This book features contributions from tourism and recreation researchers and practitioners exploring the relationship between tourism, hospitality, protected areas, livelihoods and both physical and emotional human wellbeing. The book includes sections focused on theory, policy and practice, and case studies, to inform and guide industry decisions to address real-world problems and proactively plan for a sustainable and healthy future.Key features:Case studies discussing best practices for park and protected area tourism developmentMulti-disciplinary approach to the study of nature-based tourismInnovative approaches including SME within protected destinations

- Dr. Azara is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism at the University of Derby and the Masters Scheme Leader for the Postgraduate taught courses in Tourism Management; International Hospitality Management; Events Management and International Spa Management. She teaches on subjects related to the management of Tourism, Hospitality, Events and Spa experiences and practices. She holds a PhD on the working of cultural heritage tourism in islands' environments from the University of Derby. Her research is on host and guest relationships; cultural change and tourism performance within socially and spatially regulated spaces of encounter. She is particularly interested in changing dynamics of cultural practices such as heritage, festivals and cultural tourism within sensitive environments. Additionally and in conjunction with the move of the Faculty to the Spa Town of Buxton, she has been teaching and researching in the areas of Spa Tourism, Wellness and Wellbeing. She has published in a variety of books and journals including Tourism Planning and Development. She is a reviewer for The European Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) and a reviewer for the International Management Research Academy (IMRA). She is also a reviewer for the Journal of Tourism Futures. She has led the development of the International Spa and Wellness Journal (forthcoming)

- Dr. Elina (Eleni) Michopoulou is a Senior Lecturer in Business Management at University of Derby, Buxton. She teaches on subjects relating to the management and marketing of Tourism, Hospitality, Events and Spa industries. She holds a PhD in Accessible Tourism Information Systems from University of Surrey, UK. Her research interests include technological applications and information systems in tourism, online consumer behaviour and technology acceptance. She is particularly interested in the field of accessible and wellness tourism, which she has actively been researching for over ten years. Her research has been published in a variety of outlets including books and high impact journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Current Issues in Tourism, and Information and Management. She regularly acts as a reviewer for a number of academic journals including Tourism Management, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management and International Journal of Tourism Research, and sits on the editorial board of International Journal of Business and Management. Dr. Michopoulou has also acted as a Guest Editor for a Special Issue on Accessible Tourism for the Journal of Tourism Futures. Previously she was involved in the European Commission funded Project OSSATE (One-Stop-Shop for Accessible Tourism in Europe), that aimed to implement a prototype multi-platform, multi-lingual information service, providing national and regional content on accessible tourist venues, sites and accommodation in Europe.

- Dr. Federico Niccolini is Associate Professor of Organizational Science at University of Pisa (Italy). He was formerly a member of the faculty at University of Macerata. Dr. Niccolini's research interests are focused on protected areas management and organization, organizational dynamics related to sustainable development and tourism, organizational vision and culture. He has authored more than 20 scientific publications on organization and management of protected areas and sustainable tourism. He has been visiting scholar or professor at US Universities (Stanford, Albany, Paul Smith College of the Adirondacks). He coordinated several national and international (including EU funded) projects and working groups regarding protected areas management and organization and socio-economical sustainable development. He also worked for numerous protected areas organizations, such as the US National Park Service; Abruzzo National Park; Migliarino - San Rossore - Massaciuccoli - Regional Park; Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area and Asinara National Park. Since 1999, he is a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program of the US Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since 2007 he is affiliated to the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at the Colorado State University.

Alan Clarke currently works at the University of Pannonia, in Hungary and has had a significant role in establishing the English versions of the full undergraduate and Masters programmes. He has a wide range of research and consultancy experience in tourism planning, strategy and sustainable development. He has published widely in sustainable tourism, cultural heritage, community festivals and events, religious tourism and semiotic understandings of these developments. His current research focuses on aspects of governance and stakeholder involvement. He has adopted the Balaton and its cultures as a favourite place, warmed by the sun, refreshed by the waters and challenged to know more about the wines of the region.