Abstract

The recreational behaviour of visitors to Karamjal Forest Station in Sundarban, Bangladesh, was determined by interviewing 150 visitors. The majority of visitors were locals from Bangladesh (90%); however, recreational behaviour varied significantly between local and foreign visitors. More than half of the visitors reported coming to Sundarban for the first time. Most of the visitors were travelling for recreation and derived satisfaction from watching wildlife, particularly deer and crocodiles, and the beauty of the forest. Foreign visitors expressed more satisfaction with boat journeys than local visitors, while less educated visitors expressed more dissatisfaction with boat travel than highly educated visitors. To the question, ‘How would you describe the quality of the recreational benefits of nature-based tourism in Karamjal?’ most visitors answered “poor” or “very poor”. Visitor perception varied significantly by income level, and people of higher financial status were more satisfied than people of lower financial status with the recreational benefits of nature-based tourism in Karamjal.

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