Background/Purpose Whitewater parks (WWPs), an emerging trend, are created using existing stream beds to create waves. WWPs provide recreational activities and economic boosts to host communities. Little is known concerning rural residents' perceptions of WWPs on the development of tourism and its impact on their rural community lives.
Method A 22 question survey was developed to assess the impact of an educational intervention program on rural residents' economic, sociocultural, and environmental views of these parks. Participants were 143 randomly selected (89 female; 59 male) residents who were pretested with the survey, given an online education program through SurveyMonkey on economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of such parks and posttested. Data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS (18), alpha p<.05.
Analysis/Results Participants held significantly less negative views (pre M = 17.25 ± 5.66) to (post M = 15.48 ± 5.10) about economic impacts F (1, 141) = 12.74, p = .0001, ηρ2=.45. Significantly fewer negative economic impact views were found from pre (M = 23.27 ± 6.89) to posttest (M= 19.62 ± 6.42) F (1,141) = 51.773, p = .0001, ηρ2= 269. Males held significantly less negative environmental impact views from pre (M=24.52 ± 7.12) to posttest (19.87 ± 6.81), with females showing smaller decline pretest (M=21.21 ± 5.90) to posttest (M=19.08 ± 5.64) F (1, 141) = 8.390, p = .004, ηρ2= .056.
Conclusions Perhaps the program reduced male anxiety on WWPs influence on fishing. The program increased residents' awareness concerning positive impacts of recreation tourism on a rural community.
See more of: Research Consortium