Nature-Based Tourism
Dr. Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Program Leader
Program Overview and Current Research
The mission of the Maine-based Tourism Program is to conduct collaborative research, education, and outreach that promote sustainable tourism in Maine. Efforts to support this mission include increasing the efficiency and opportunities for Maine’s tourism industry by regularly gathering, analyzing, and communicating information about the economic impact and trends of tourism in Maine; promoting the development and enhancement of tourism destinations by understanding the social, cultural, and economic factors that facilitate and limit local tourism in Maine communities and their potential vulnerabilities due to radical weather cycles and economic trends; and promoting environmental stewardship of tourism in Maine by understanding and managing for the environmental effects of new and existing tourism opportunities.
Research Outputs
Drivers of Climate Change Risk Perceptions among Diverse Forest Stakeholders in Maine, USA
Climate change is impacting forest ecosystems, which support key ecosystem services and the general well-being of natural resource-dependent communities in Northeastern, USA. Understanding the determinants of climate change risk perceptions among forest resource stakeholders is critical to eliciting broad support for adaptation.
Alyssa Soucy, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran & Aaron Weiskittel (2021) Drivers of Climate Change Risk Perceptions among Diverse Forest Stakeholders in Maine, USA, Society & Natural Resources, DOI: 10.1080/08941920.2021.1991066l
Forestry Professionals’ Perceptions of Climate Change Impacts on the Forest Industry in Maine, USA
“Understanding perceptions of climate change impacts is critical to supporting the use of adaptation strategies, informing future research, and supporting decision-making.” Read more in this article by UMaine CRSF-affiliated researchers Alyssa Soucy, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Parinez Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Aaron Weiskittel, & Bridie McGreavy.