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Originally conceptualised as an innovative strategy for environmental conservation, ecotourism is now considered as one of the fastest growing segments of tourism. Although many definitions of ecotourism have been provided over the years, the application of the concept is still inconsistent, shifting its focus from purely nature-based towards more sustainable and conservative activities. Research on ecotourism reveals that ecotourism marketing initiatives are mainly driven by the supply-side or government/environmentalist organisations’ perspective, without taking into account the demand side, i.e., individuals’ motivations for ecotourism. This chapter will provide recognition of the different definitions of the ecotourism concept in order to distinguish it from other similar forms of tourism, e.g., nature-based tourism, and will review the research to build an understanding of the various motivations pushing individuals to choose ecotourism offerings. It will also function as the basis for the development of an appropriate protocol to investigate a sample of ecotourism providers and the congruency of their marketing initiatives with established consumer motivations.

Travel motivation has received considerable attention in the tourism literature. Although motivation is only one variable explaining tourist behaviour, it is regarded as one of the most important. Hence, nature‐based tourism resources as non‐market goods or destination goods have their own economic value, which is frequently neglected. This paper seeks to examine this issue.

The Delphi study among tourism experts attempts to quantify the value and significance of nature and landscape for tourists’ travel motivation for vacations in the Tirol at present and in the future.

The survey shows that particularly in the summer season Nature/Landscape is the most important theme for summer vacation in the Tirol today and will be even more in 2020. Therefore, it clearly is one of the most essential travel motives in the eyes of the experts. Nature‐based vacation has a strong significance and value for the Tirol, with Nature ranging among the top three strengths in the Delphi survey.

The Tirol provides very good prerequisites with regard to nature and experts see high importance in natural resources in 2020 in winter and summer alike. This indicates that tourist providers have to continue producing nature‐based products, offers and attractions in order to meet the challenges of the market.

The current findings add to a growing body of literature on travel motivation and the findings will enhance the understanding of the significance and value of non‐market goods for travel decisions.

School trips to Outdoor Residential Centres can represent a significant and formative childhood tourism experience that can potentially influence adult tourism and leisure choices. Commonly located in ‘green spaces’ which range from peri-urban through to wild and natural landscapes, these centres offer adventurous outdoor activities. Alongside developmental and educational learning, children are immersed in nature experiences that can enable emotional connections with local environments. This chapter is based on a UK context, in which current policymaking is concerned with increasing inclusivity of access to British landscapes, in which many of these centres are located. It is argued here that Outdoor Residential Centres enable childhood experiences that can influence future consumer choices, alongside shaping support for the future protection of natural landscapes.

As a markedly under-explored area of the literature in the United Kingdom, this conceptual review of the literature sets out the imperative for understanding the vital role of Outdoor Residential Centres in shaping tourism futures. Through bringing together environmental education and psychology with tourism management literature, the chapter identifies the imperative for further research to enable nature connections through Outdoor Residential Centre experiences. This responds to the UK policy agenda to increase nature connections and support conservation. The application of a ‘sustainable children typology’ to a Welsh case study demonstrates how Residential Outdoor Centres enable children's empowerment through outdoor learning experiences that shape them as ‘sustainability thinkers’ and to potentially influence pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours as ‘sustainability transformers’ – and ultimately, eco-literate tourists.

This study aims to examine nature-based tourists’ experiences in tree houses using user-generated content in Web reviews. The research objectives were to identify the main dimensions of tree house experiences and test whether these dimensions vary according to different traveller-type market segments.

A sample of 722 Web reviews was analysed using mixed content analysis methods. Leximancer software provided computer-assisted qualitative data analysis that identified the main themes, after which further qualitative analysis identified the key narratives associated with experiences.

The results reveal that tourists are extremely satisfied with their stays in tree houses. The main themes that encompass the dominant narratives are tree house, Costa Rica, staff, morning, walk, wildlife, rainforest, opportunity to learn, trip, experience and recommendation. The narratives vary according to type of traveller.

The valuable insights gained emphasise the advantages of using user-generated content in tourism studies. The results also offer a better understanding of the key dimensions of this type of nature-based tourism, including a graphic representation of the main themes and concepts in guests’ narratives. In addition, the findings emphasise that nature-based tourists are not a homogeneous group and that they can be segmented according to type of traveller.

The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of end consumer’s value creation in the context of Finnish nature-based tourism from the viewpoint of the customer-dominant logic (CD logic) of service.

Existing research on the CD logic of service and value creation, consumer value and value creation as a hierarchical process is reviewed. The exploratory research design was applied. The data were constituted of 40 end consumers’ interviews. Based on the means-end chain model, a laddering interview was applied.

The findings indicated that end consumer’s value created in a nature-based tourism service included five final value categories. Those categories were related to emotions and feelings, enjoyment, fun and even lifetime memories. They indicated long-term characteristics of value, individually created value, collective experience and shared value.

The findings increased understanding of end consumer’s value creation as a process. The paper provided ideas for developing better nature-based tourism service offerings, value propositions and insights into end consumer’s value creation in terms of individual and shared value. The findings are valuable for nature-based tourism researchers and stakeholders.

New knowledge on end consumer’s value creation process was created by presenting the hierarchical value maps. The five final value categories indicated the value-in-use. The final value categories emphasised either individual or shared value, which included the end consumer’s life and previous experiences. The preliminary findings will help to develop hypotheses and research problems for future research.

Environmental ethics has become an established subject of philosophy in recent decades in response to the contemporary environmental crisis. This paper aims to provide an overview of the key theories and concepts and critically evaluate the extent of their application in tourism studies.

The paper is based on a systematic literature review of published academic papers that link environmental ethics to tourism. It subsequently attempts to provide a comprehensive review of what is currently a nascent field of research enquiry to comprehend and evaluate the relevance and implications of environmental ethics for tourism. Using a theoretical ethical framework of libertarian extensionism, eco-holism and the conservation ethic, moral debates that arise from their use in tourism are analysed. As a field of academic study that presently lacks research enquiry areas for future research investigation are subsequently identified.

The paper forms a part of the “State of the Art” series and subsequently does not present empirical findings. However, through critical evaluation, it demonstrates the complexity of the application of environmental ethics to tourism through differing perspectives within the subject and when nature’s interests are juxtaposed to concerns of anthropic ethics. To develop a stronger environmental ethics amongst tourism stakeholders that recognises the intrinsic value of nature, it is recommended that ecological virtue and literacy are key elements in this process.

The originality of the paper rests in providing a comprehensive overview of the existing level of application of the theories of environmental ethics to tourism; the appliance of theory to debates of tourism’s environmental challenges; and identifying research directions to help fill knowledge gaps.

The purpose of this paper is to share architecture as a tool that is increasingly implemented in nature areas and its potential for stimulating transformative experiences among visitors in nature-based tourism.

Based on three examples of architecture in nature, the value of architecture to nature-based tourism is presented.

It was found that architecture in nature has a wide range of benefits for nature-based tourism and may form a catalyst for gaining transformative experiences in the examples presented.

The findings presented in this paper touch upon a new way of stimulating transformative experiences among visitors in nature-based tourism by implementing architecture.

In realizing the problems of the protection of life environment and of the modern tourism it is indispensable to start from the fact that the tourism is a specific consumer of the nature, but it has to be treated as an important factor of its protection. The tourism has made possible the valuation of some parts and elements of the nature, which are of no particular value for other activities. In this sense, it is important to accord the degree and the form of the tourism in individual touristic localities, regions and countries with the objects of the protection of life environment. In order to be able to solve the existing problems and the series of causal relations between the protection of nature and tourism, it is indispensable to observe the principles of the conception of the active protection of life environment. It means that the protection of life environment for touristic needs must not be reduced to the protection of individual natural rarities of isolated wholes only, but the nature has to be considered as a whole.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how nature-based solutions (NBS) are being used in city areas to improve environmental conditions and increase tourism. This research examines the drivers behind, and impacts of, the application of NBS in city redevelopment projects for tourism. NBS is a term that refers to the use of flora and fauna ecosystems as an approach to resolve problems faced by society.

An interdisciplinary research methodology has been developed to examine the relationship between city NBS and tourism; the methods include a literature review of contemporary practice, field observations and thematic textual analysis from digital archives. The research methodology uses a combined empirical and desk-based analysis of five case studies cites.

NBS, as part of city redevelopment projects, is now a strategic aim of many cities globally to re-brand, re-vision and re-orientate themselves to be more hospitable, liveable and attractive to tourists and visitors.

City redevelopment projects are incorporating NBS to address climate change as well as local environmental issues such as disaster resilience whilst simultaneously delivering social and economic benefits.

The research reveals that NBS can deliver benefits to human wellbeing, tourism, economic vitality as well as more sustainable models of urban development.

The research reveals for the first time how NBS is being used as a driver for increasing tourism globally. The research is highly original as it examines a new topic in tourism studies, the role of NBS in relation to city tourism.

The purpose of this paper is to present and analyse the development and marketing tourism strategy of Melgaço and determine how nature radical sports can be implemented as a core product, complemented with Alvarinho wine and its tradition.

The information used to develop the present paper is based on the recently developed tourism strategic and marketing plan for the municipality of Melgaço, which, by its turn, is supported on a variety of primary data and official regional, national and international sources.

Melgaço has a range of singular natural resources where it is possible to practice river and mountain sports throughout the year, a competitive factor compared to other destinations. With a positioning and communication strategy based on its distinctive features, the municipality wants to be perceived as “the most radical nature tourism destination in Portugal”, and hence, it has increased its touristic flows and improve economic and social indicators.

This paper presents the evolution and present situation of the tourism sector in Melgaço, as well as the main challenges, opportunities and lines for development.