Environmental consciousness of RV visitors to Rocky Mountain National Parks

RV travel is a growing market but remains largely under-studied. More and more visitors to National Parks choose to travel in an RV. The goal of the study presented in this paper was to investigate the environmental consciousness of RV visitors to National Parks and determine their awareness of the negative environmental impacts of RV traveling, as well as the actions they take to mitigate these impacts. A paper-based intercept survey of RV travelers was conducted in the summer of 2007 at three major campgrounds in the Mountain Parks: Whistlers (Jasper), Tunnel Mountain (Banff) and Lake Louise. The results reveal that less than half of the RV visitors are aware of their ecological footprint while traveling in an RV, and an even smaller number takes measures to reduce their ecological footprint while traveling in an RV. However, the study results also show that some RVers are more environmentally conscious than others. The paper concludes that with the growing number of RV travelers, National Parks are a perfect place to educate the visitors and raise the environmental awareness. These issues are further discussed in relation to the Parks Canada mandate.