From nature visits to conservation awareness: A visitor survey report at Shiretoko National Park, Japan

Résumé fourni par la source

This report summarizes the findings of a survey conducted with 100 international visitors to Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaido, Japan, during June and July 2025. The research project aimed to explore the nature conservation messages that visitors encountered in Shiretoko, and how overall visits to Shiretoko influenced visitors to consider new approaches, personal actions, and consumption habits related to nature conservation. Visitors represented diverse nationalities, ages, and genders. Visitors were motivated by the park’s natural beauty, wildlife, remoteness, and opportunities for hiking, wildlife observation, and self-directed exploration. Nature conservation messages on responsible behavior, such as trail use and wildlife safety, were widely reported, whereas exposure to information on broader conservation challenges facing Shiretoko and success stories of local conservation projects was less reported by visitors. Visiting Shiretoko influenced visitors in multiple ways. For some, the visit enhanced their conservation awareness. For others, the visit had no impact, either because it only reinforced pre-existing conservation habits or because the visits were brief and offered limited exposure to conservation-related educational materials and messages. Visitors highly valued the park’s well-maintained trails, wildlife encounters, and supportive infrastructure, and emphasized the role of visitor centers in providing safety guidance. Visitors suggested ways to improve visits to Shiretoko, including expanding multilingual information, highlighting marine and terrestrial conservation challenges, and integrating socio-cultural and historical contexts. Overall, Shiretoko is a unique and inspiring visit, with potential to further enhance visitor engagement in conservation issues and efforts, and to encourage visitors to take more action on behalf of nature conservation.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.