Engaging with nature : Nature affords well-being for families and young people in Finland

Contact with nature is increasingly being recognized as contributing to humans' mental and physical health. This study explores how Finnish children, young people and families engage with nature during outdoor recreation. We apply a relational approach with the concept of affordance to understand better how engagement with nature affects their well-being. The study is based on thematic writings of 15- to 21-year-olds and on an ethnographic study of camping. Findings indicate that engagement with nature enables young people to calm down and to get away from the pressures of everyday life and affords close interaction for families. The relational approach makes visible that the more young people and families spend time in nature, the more they are able to perceive affordances that enhance their well-being. In future research and policy, the focus should be on how to support families' engagement with nature by securing time and places for encountering nature.Peer reviewe

Matkailijoiden asenteet kansallispuistojen matkailukehittämiseen

Tourists' attitudes towards developing tourism in national parks Since the 1990s, nature-based tourism has been one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism. In Finland the numberof visitors to national parks has grown, and tourism has become a more important part of the use of parks. The aim of this study was to analyze the discourses of tourists: their ideas of the role of tourism in national parks and their attitudes towards developing tourism in these areas. The research material consisted of 33 interviews which were carried out in Koli National Park and analyzed with qualitative methods. The analysis showed that the tourists stress the goals of conservation and recreation in very different ways and thus, they understand the limits of tourism in national parks in various ways. Four different types were formed according to the tourists' attitudes towards developing tourism in parks. The most critical tourists notice the threat of tourism to conservation values where as the most positive ones pay more attention to protecting their recreational experience and the idea of untouched wilderness. These partly conflicting ideas of tourists have to be balanced in the management of national parks.Since the 1990s, nature-based tourism has been one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism. In Finland the numberof visitors to national parks has grown, and tourism has become a more important part of the use of parks. The aim of this study was to analyze the discourses of tourists: their ideas of the role of tourism in national parks and their attitudes towards developing tourism in these areas. The research material consisted of 33 interviews which were carried out in Koli National Park and analyzed with qualitative methods. The analysis showed that the tourists stress the goals of conservation and recreation in very different ways and thus, they understand the limits of tourism in national parks in various ways. Four different types were formed according to the tourists' attitudes towards developing tourism in parks. The most critical tourists notice the threat of tourism to conservation values where as the most positive ones pay more attention to protecting their recreational experience and the idea of untouched wilderness. These partly conflicting ideas of tourists have to be balanced in the management of national parks

Lasten ja nuorten luontoyhteyden vahvistamisesta perusta tulevaisuuden lähimatkailulle

PuheenvuorotNon peer reviewe

Consumer Trust in a Health-Enhancing Innovation : Comparisons between Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom

A health effect is a credence quality feature which is difficult for consumers to detect, and they need to be convinced of its trustworthiness. This study explores the role of trust-related arguments in Finnish, German, and British consumers' willingness to try a novel health-enhancing, non-edible product. Scientific evidence in particular would convince consumers, particularly Finnish ones, to try a product. Receiving recommendations from other users was more important for younger than for older respondents when it came to trying this type of product. Different marketing strategies may be needed to convince potential users of the benefits of a novel product.Peer reviewe

Maahanmuuttajataustaisten nuorten luontosuhde ja luonnon virkistyskäyttö : Tutkimus Lahden yläkoululaisista

Peer reviewe

Suojelualueiden terveys- ja hyvinvointivaikutukset Suomessa

Following the growth of nature-based tourism, national parks and other protected areas have become important tourist attractions and tools for regional development. Meanwhile, research on the impact of nature on human health and well-being is increasing and taken into account in park management. This study examines health and well-being benefits perceived by visitors to Finland's protected areas. It is based on survey data from five national parks and one strict nature reserve in 2013–2015: an on-site visitor survey (N = 3152) and an Internet-based health and well-being survey (N = 1054). The study indicates that visitors’ perceived benefits to their well-being were highly positive. Visits to protected areas promoted psychological, physical, and social benefits. In particular, park visits were found to provide strong and multi-faceted, long-lasting, embodied and sensory well-being experiences as well as escape from everyday life and work. Overnight visitors reported more well-being benefits than day visitors, and different types of park had different well-being benefits. The study suggests that the potential benefits of protected areas for public health are significant, emphasizing the need to integrate health and well-being arguments into the neoliberalist politics assessing the economic benefits of protected areas and their role in regional development.Peer reviewe