Naslov
Exploring visitors' desired benefits in Paklenica National Park, Croatia: Development, validation and management implications of measurement instrument

Autori
Barić, Demir ; Anić, Petra ; Tončić, Marko ; Macias Bedoya, Ana

Izvornik
Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism (2213-0780) 12 (2015); 59-63

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Outcome focused management ; Desired benefits ; Visitors ; National park ; Measurement instrument development

Sažetak
For protected area managers, understanding visitors' desired benefits are a key priority. However, be- cause of financial restrictions and insufficient capacity, Park managers often are not capable of devel- oping appropriate and reliable measurement instruments for tracking visitor's needs. The main purpose of this study was to develop a simple and cost-effective measurement instrument to monitor visitors' desired benefits in Paklenica National Park in Croatia. We used a literature-driven approach to test the relevancy of five hypothesized benefit dimensions, composed of 18 recreational experiences items on a general visitor sample (n=342). These dimensions were: Enjoy nature, Novelty and learning, Socializing, Escape and solitude, and Personal achievement. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) process pro- ceeded through two distinct phases. In the first phase, we tested the data fit for two competing models: orthogonal and correlated. In the second phase, we assessed the reliability and convergent validity of the measurement instrument. The results revealed that the model with correlated benefit dimensions re- produced the data better than the orthogonal model. Inter-correlations between latent benefit dimen- sions were statistically significant and positive. Reliability and convergent validity indicated a reasonable consistency of the measurement instrument. Further research should focus on continuous improvement of the measurement instrument and its application, according to different management demands.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Sociologija, Psihologija, Demografija

POVEZANOST RADA