ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the recreational experience preferences (REP) of visitors to Fulufjället National Park, Sweden. Data were derived from a pilot study conducted in the summer of 2005 by Colorado State University on behalf of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the European Tourism Research Institute. A total of 107 Swedish and international visitors were surveyed on-site. Analysis included reliability and exploratory factor analyses to investigate the motivational aspects of visitors to Fulufjället National Park. Aims were to examine motivations of visitors in a Northern European national park using REP items from a North American context and to examine REP’s potential for cross-cultural use. Four primary REP dimensions were identified including self-discovery, experience of places, seeking solitude and challenging self. Implications for management and the Scandinavian context are given along with the cultural context of allemansratten and friluftsliv.
