Managing natural disturbance in protected areas: tourists' attitude towards the bark beetle in a German national park

Tourists represent important stakeholders in the management of natural disturbance in protected areas. This study examines tourists’ attitude towards large-scale bark beetle infestation in the case of Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany. Three alternative conceptual models for predicting attitude are specified and compared using structural equation modelling (SEM) and a post-hoc modified model is derived. We find that tourists overall have a neutral attitude towards the bark beetle and are slightly against controlling the insect in the park. Tourists with higher affinity for the national park, better knowledge about the bark beetle and who expect a recovery of the affected areas have a significantly more positive attitude. Our results support a policy of selective non-intervention in the case of natural disturbance. This should be combined with educational measures aimed at raising awareness of the ecological mandate of protected areas and increasing tourists’ knowledge of the specific disturbance.