Gateways as a means of visitor management in national parks and protected areas

Managers of national parks and other protected areas need to balance visitor needs with conservation objectives. In Western Europe, these areas are often part of a “living landscape” where people live and work and where the area roads are used not only by visitors but also by utilitarian local bound and through traffic. When recreating in these areas, many visitors park at a gateway as the main entrance point to the nature areas. As such, gateways are a useful means of visitor management. Two case studies at gateway locations in the Veluwe area in the Netherlands show that gateways can tempt many visitors to park their car at the gateway, which results in reduced traffic flow within an area. To attract visitors, it is important that a gateway be strategically located (e.g. at the border of the area) and that the facilities and activities offered at a gateway meet visitor demands.