ABSTRACT
National parks systems have grown incrementally throughout the world with little pattern to the spatial distribution. However, most appears to be established around the same principles and functions, which are very similar to the original American model (Butler & Boyd, 2000). Examining first the historical establishment of national parks, the conceptual and political context for present preservation efforts are discussed. National parks continue to play a significant role in areas of protection, conservation, economic potential for regional development, recreation and tourism. Current literature on the relationship between tourism and national parks make little attempt to distinguish between touristic, recreational and traditional subsistence use of national parks despite the potentially different individual needs, expectations and lived experiences. While acknowledging that this may be somewhat imprecise, it is generally argued that the problems caused by the impact from these kinds of utilisation are closely related and often dealt with in the same manner (Wahab & Pigram, 1997; Hall & Lew, 1998; Mowforth & Munt, 1998; Butler & Boyd, 2000).
