Travel simulation modeling: an emerging tool for visitor management in wilderness

Abstract

Rhe amount, type, timing, and location of visitor use all have profound effects on the quality of the natural resources and visitor experiences in wilderness. Therefore, it is important to monitor the flow of visitation, in space and over time, and predict how distributions are likely to change in response to both management actions and factors that are not subject to managerial control. In some situations this is easily done. However, the ease of monitoring and predicting use declines as size of area increases, complexity of traffic flow increases, and the degree to which traffic flow is controlled by management decreases. For all these reasons, monitoring and predicting visitor flows is both difficult and important in wilderness.

Citation

Cole, David N. 2004. Travel simulation modeling: an emerging tool for visitor management in wilderness. International journal of wilderness. 10(3): 40, 44