Abstract:
As recreation and tourism visitation increases and government budgets decrease, public
land management agencies are using private commercial operators as an alternative
source of offering products and services. Changes and trends in commercial outdoor
recreation and tourism such as a large scale increase in the number of visitors can affect
communities, visitors, and natural resources. Objectives of this research were to focus
on commercial outfitters on the Tongass National Forest in the Juneau, Alaska area, and
examine their: (a) changes in visitors served and activities offered, (b) awareness of
effects of commercial recreation and tourism on visitors and local communities, (c)
ascription of responsibility for these effects, and (d) behavior to improve conditions.
Data were obtained from 23 semi structured interviews of commercial outfitters in the
Juneau area. Findings showed that the Juneau area has experienced changes such as an
increase in the number and diversity of visitors served and activities offered mainly due
to the influence of the cruise industry. These changes reflected principles of
McDonaldization (i.e., efficiency, calculability, predictability, control) despite some
seemingly contrary evidence of uniqueness, customization, and flexibility. Results also
showed that outfitter perceived effects of and behavior toward commercial recreation
and tourism were mostly social and managerial in nature. Awareness of negative effects
included more general impacts of the tourism industry (e.g., crowding, noise), whereas
positive effects were more specific to the outfitter (e.g., tour service, infrastructure
provisions to community). Impact ownership and personal initiative played important
roles in outfitters' ascription of responsibility and proactive behaviors, and largely
focused on self enforced and industry created codes of conduct (e.g., Tourism Best
Management Practices). Informal sanctions (e.g., desire to be good neighbors,
obligation to environment) offered important means to improve conditions.
