The effects of the Visitor Impact Management (VIM) approach on crowding, recreation displacement, recreation product shift, and recreation dissatisfaction: A study of the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of the Visitor Impact Management (VIM) approach to managing the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park, Taiwan. The variables investigated by this study represent social impact indicators of VIM and include a variety of perceptual and behavioral responses by visitors to increasing use levels. Data were collected via a visitor survey questionnaire and a panel case study which examined: (1) visitors' on-site experiences of perceived crowding, recreation displacement, recreation product, and recreation dissatisfaction, (2) visitors' preferred management conditions regarding their crowding, displacement, product shift, and dissatisfaction perceptions, (3) visitors' normative standards of quality for the perceived crowding variable, and (4) the feasibility to implement the VIM approach within the context of the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park, Taiwan.This study found support for crowding as an indicator of displacement, product shift, and dissatisfaction in the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park. The concept of asking visitors' perceptions about crowding, displacement, product shift, and dissatisfaction based on five preferred management conditions was also tested by this study. On-site visitors were asked to respond to several preferred management conditions including reductions of 5% and less, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the number of visitors that were currently visiting. The results show that visitors' reported dissatisfaction perceptions did not significantly change with reductions of current on-site visitation levels.A norm research experiment using a visual approach for measuring and setting standards of quality for the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park was tested. Since results from the visual approach indicated that current crowding conditions at certain sites are neither tolerable nor preferred for most park visitors, it is suggested that these conditions could be improved by focusing carrying capacity management upon the crowding impact indicator.Panel case study results support the importance of recognizing visitor impact problems and the pressing needs to establish effective management techniques for the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park. Although several impact problems and limitations remain to be solved, the VIM approach is considered by this study as a feasible as well as an effective management technique in managing current crowding problems faced by the Yang-Ming-Shan National Park.