Cruise Visitor Impressions of the Environment of the Shannon-Erne Waterways System

摘要

This paper examines visitor reactions to a varied inland water environment and the management implications that result. It is based on a survey of cruising on the interlinked systems of Lough Erne, the Shannon-Erne Waterway, and the River Shannon in north-west Ireland. Knowledge of visitors' demands and reactions to water bodies and bankside features is considered vital to the successful management of waterways, particularly in the context of developing a sustainable tourism product that demands the preservation of the integrity of the environment. The study is opportune in that the 1994 reopening of the Shannon-Erne Waterway allows the implementation of safeguards at an early stage of development when scope for influencing the future is greater.