Demographics, preferences and motivations profile of trail users in four brazilian National Parks

Abstract

The results of academic research on tourism and recreation in protected areas show that there is no “average visitor” to these areas and that offering diverse conditions is crucial for the wide diversity of publics present in these areas to have their expectations met. In Brazil, there are a number of studies evaluating the demographic profile of visitors to parks and other protected areas, but studies that assess preferences and motivations for visiting these areas are rarer. The main visitation structure in protected areas is the hiking trail, which is the most common activity developed by its visitors. Thus, the present study seeks to characterize the visitors of the trails of four important national parks in the country, involving analysis of demographic profile, motivations and preferences, using the methodology of structured online questionnaires. The National Parks (NP) evaluated were Chapada dos Veadeiros NP (PNCV, located in Goiás), Serra dos Órgãos NP (PNSO, located in Rio de Janeiro), Tijuca NP (PNT, located in Rio de Janeiro) and Brasília NP (PNB, located in the Federal District and Goiás). The demographic variables evaluated showed differences between the NP surveyed, although it was possible to perceive a certain grouping between the units closest to each other (PNCV and PNB on the one hand; PNSO and PNT on the other) in relation to some of the variables used. In terms of preferences and motivations, two different groups were perceived: while the questions related to the frequency of previous visits and the main activity carried out indicate the same groupings mentioned above (among the NP close by), all other questions, which can be related to the scale of visitation opportunities evidenced by the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) indicate other groupings, with the PNCV and PNSO on the one hand and the PNB and PNT on the other, with PNCV and PNSO users appearing to have a profile considered more “trekker” in relation to PNT and PNB visitors.