Volunteering and collaborative governance innovation in the Wadden Sea National Park

A significant potential for integrating volunteering with tourism and citizen engagement exists within the Wadden Sea National Park, as residents near the park and visitors from across Denmark show strong willingness to participate. Volunteers contribute substantially to conservation efforts, including beach clean-ups, facilities maintenance, and nature restoration, indicating a shift towards collaborative governance that complements state-driven models. However, this transition requires careful alignment of protection goals with volunteer activities to ensure sustainability, highlighting an urgent need for innovative governance structures in national parks.

Kwiatkowski, G., Hjalager, A.-M., Liburd, J., & Saabye Simonsen, P. (2019). Volunteering and collaborative governance innovation in the Wadden Sea National Park. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(8), 971–989. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1571022