Economic impact analyses assess the economic effects of nature tourism in protected areas. In international contexts, various studies and monitoring systems employ input-output analyses as a standard methodology, whereas in Germany, studies have traditionally relied on value added analyses. The value added analysis assumes a general 30% indirect value added ratio of the intermediate input effects for all German protected areas and tourism sectors, without accounting for induced consumption effects.This paper aims to enhance the quality and scope of economic impact analyses of nature tourism in German protected areas. For this reason, the input-output analysis is introduced for two German protected area cases: Black Forest Biosphere Reserve and Black Forest National Park. IMPLAN input-output data for the German district level was used.Through input-output analysis, sector-specific and spatial multiplier variations were identified. Notably, the indirect value added ratios estimated for the two cases verify the general 30% ratio, showing a slight deviation of 30.6% for the Black Forest Biosphere Reserve and 29.6% for the Black Forest National Park. The induced consumption effect is slightly higher in the biosphere reserve, with an induced value added ratio of 13.3% compared to 11.1% for the Black Forest National Park region. These findings from input-output analyses provide foundational insights, laying the groundwork for further investigations across diverse regional cases. With a commitment to a standardized and long-term socioeconomic monitoring system built upon reliable and consistent data, this approach has the potential to foster methodological development and international harmonization in economic impact analyses within German protected areas.

The ecologically valuable and unique natural and cultural landscapes of protected areas are popular nature tourism destinations. From a spatial perspective, travellers visit protected areas by moving from their place of origin to the destination for a temporary stay. This paper analyses the travel distances of day visitors and overnight guests to German national parks and biosphere reserves. National parks position themselves as both regional and national destinations. In contrast, biosphere reserve tourism is more regionally concentrated due to the proximity of biosphere reserves to urban centres, which are the primary places of origin for visitors. On average, visitors travel 278.6 km by car to visit a national park, taking 172.1 minutes (02:52 hours). Opting for public transport increases the average travel distance to 312.5 km, with a travel time of 284.5 minutes (04:43 hours). Visitors to German biosphere reserves travel 208.7 km by car, requiring 134.7 minutes (02:15 hours). When using public transport to visit biosphere reserves, the average distance increases to 234.0 km, with a travel time of 239.1 minutes (03:59 hours). The automated, GIS-supported distance analyses offer an innovative approach for assessing nature tourism catchment areas and the accessibility of protected areas, serving as a basis for effective spatial planning, development, and regional marketing.

Protected areas not only contribute to the protection of biological diversity but also offer spaces for outdoor recreation and tourism. As is well known, visitor monitoring is required for various reasons. The need to collect comparable visitation data in Germany's protected areas became clear with a first pilot study in 2001 at Berchtesgaden National Park. Since then, additional studies have estimated visitation using a standardized methodology. This article focuses on this methodology by examining how visitation is registered in protected areas in Germany, where a combination of censuses and structural surveys are used on selected survey days and at certain survey sites. Extrapolations of such raw data consider variations in visitor volume according to season, the day of the week, and weather conditions, while also integrating visitor segmentation and official statistical data. Differences in spatial structure are reflected in those visitor segments and outdoor activities. Parks near urban areas show a high share of day-visitors, while overnight tourism predominates in more remote areas, especially traditional tourist destinations. Using this method, initial studies calculated about 53 million visitor days per year in national parks, and over 65 million visitor days in biosphere reserves. In combination with alternative counting methods, such as automatic counters, long-term monitoring must be set up to operate permanently in order to meet international reporting obligations and verify the carrying capacity of protected areas.

PURPOSE:We sought to determine if a novel online health tool, called Down Syndrome Clinic to You (DSC2U), could improve adherence to national Down syndrome (DS) guidelines. We also sought to determine if primary care providers (PCPs) and caregivers are satisfied with this personalized online health tool.METHODS:In a national, randomized controlled trial of 230 caregivers who had children or dependents with DS without access to a DS specialist, 117 were randomized to receive DSC2U and 113 to receive usual care. The primary outcome was adherence to five health evaluations indicated by national guidelines for DS. DSC2U is completed electronically, in all mobile settings, by caregivers at home. The outputs-personalized checklists-are used during annual wellness visits with the patient's PCP.RESULTS:A total of 213 participants completed a 7-month follow-up evaluation. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the intervention group had a 1.6-fold increase in the number of indicated evaluations that were recommended by the primary care provider or completed compared with controls. Both caregivers and PCPs reported high levels of satisfaction with DSC2U.CONCLUSIONS:DSC2U improved adherence to the national DS health-care guidelines with a novel modality that was highly valued by both caregivers and PCPs.