Beyond the rhetoric of visitor management in transboundary protected areas: the case of Peneda–Geres

Abstract

Although the objectives for transboundary protected areas are often clear, in practice the development and management of these areas, particularly for tourism, are complex. Often explained, in part, by cultural and political differences evident among border partners, this complexity adds to the challenge of managing these often pristine natural areas for tourism. Through a casestudy of Peneda-Geres National Park, Northern Portugal, which forms part of the Transfrontier Park of Geres-Xures, and which encompasses the Natural Park of Baixa-Limia Serra do Xures of Galicia, Spain, this paper sets out to explore the effectiveness of transboundary partnerships for purposes of visitor management in transboundary protected areas. The paper introduces 12 core guidelines, developed by the authors, for transboundary visitor management and highlights the range of constraints and limitations that impede effective visitor management. Thereafter, the paper compares and contrasts the 12 core guidelines with the visitor management 'actions' and 'decisions', and their underlying rationale, taken by the transboundary protected area authorities of the Transfrontier Park of Geres-Xures. The paper concludes with an assessment of the success to date of the Portuguese authorities in their attempts to meet the core guidelines. Subsequently, a preliminary assessment as to the implementation of further guidelines for the future is conducted. A Portuguese perspective is emphasised throughout this paper, owing to recent developments in Portuguese National Policy aimed towards the promotion of nature-based tourism, efforts in the establishment and embetterment of a network of Protected Areas and the political and economic importance of cross-border activities for northern Portugal and Galicia, Spain.

Improving Communication for Management of Social-ecological Systems in High Mountain Areas

“…Mountain ranges are often shared among several countries but international cooperation can be limited or hampered by national legislation. The increasing relevance and awareness of transboundary international cooperation is due to several factors (UNESCO-EABRN 1997) including the need to (1) improve management of shared natural resources and effectiveness in protecting the habitats and species of cross border ecosystems, (2) bring long-term benefits to the countries through improved conditions for local sustainable development, and (3) reduce boundary disputes (Agrawal 2000;Zbicz 2003;Hewlett et al 2004;Danby and Slocombe 2005). Through such cooperation, communication, exchange, and understanding among people can be enhanced and national level dialogues facilitated, as these are crucial ingredients toward regional security and appropriate environmental practices.…”