Ecological restoration and visitor experiences: insights informed by environmental philosophy

The development of eco-sanctuaries has been an important response to the biodiversity crisis in New Zealand. They combine intensive predator control and biodiversity conservation, with a particular focus on endangered endemic wildlife within the local ecosystems. Tourism has been harnessed to fund conservation efforts, raising important questions about the experiences of visitors to eco-sanctuaries. This paper explores international visitors' perceptions and experiences of ecological restoration at New Zealand eco-sanctuaries. Theoretically framed by the field of environmental philosophy, we present an analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with international visitors to eco-sanctuaries. Our findings identified competing interests among humans, endemic wildlife, invasive animals and the wider biological community tied to visitor perceptions of ecological restoration. These perceptions are largely found to be shaped by the interplay between environmental ethics and relevant awareness/knowledge of international visitors. The research contributes to emerging trans-disciplinary discourses that address tourism and environmental philosophy by offering an environmental ethics-awareness/knowledge framework to elucidate different visitor mindsets, with implications drawn for their distinct and nuanced experiences at the eco-sanctuaries. It also sheds light on the demand side of nature-based tourism by interrogating the perceived intrinsic value of the natural world and the potential of aesthetic value in conservation management.

Automated summary

The development of eco-sanctuaries in New Zealand is an important response to the biodiversity crisis, focusing on controlling predators and conserving the endemic wildlife within local ecosystems. This study explored international visitors' perceptions and experiences of ecological restoration at eco-sanctuaries, finding that environmental ethics and visitor awareness/knowledge play significant roles in shaping their perceptions. The research contributes to the discussion on tourism and environmental philosophy, offering an ethics-awareness/knowledge framework to understand different visitor mindsets and their experiences at eco-sanctuaries.