Awareness of disturbances and acceptance of visitor guidance measures of protected area visitors in winter

The dissertation deals with the topic of the awareness of disturbances and the acceptance of visitor control measures of visitors to the Danube-Auen National Park and the Gesäuse National Park in winter as well as influence factors. Around 40 % of the ski tourers surveyed in the Gesäuse National Park (N=550) believe that wildlife is accustomed to ski tourers. The majority of respondents are not aware of the national park’s ski touring approach; 70 % of those who know it see it as a sensible concept. The attitude towards this concept is influenced by the attitude towards the environmental impact of ski touring, visiting motifs, perceived restriction by the visitor’s steering concept, the number of years the respondents already go skiing tours in the Gesäuse and the importance that the Gesäuse has for the respondents. Only 20 % of respondents accept temporary or spatial visitor control measures.