The Ethical Behaviour Paradox in Protected Areas: A Study of Visitor Conduct at Isimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

A significant ethical paradox exists between visitors' strong pro-environmental values and their actual behavior at UNESCO World Heritage Site iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Despite expressing high support for conservation ethics, visitors often fail to translate these values into practice on-site. The study, based on a questionnaire with 23 ethical behavior (EB) indicators and responses from 323 participants, used paired-sample t-tests to confirm this gap statistically. Findings suggest that management strategies—such as nudging techniques and enhanced environmental interpretation—are needed to bridge the divide between visitors' stated intentions and real-world actions.

Kuseni, M., & Hermann, U. P. (2026). The Ethical Behaviour Paradox in Protected Areas: A Study of Visitor Conduct at Isimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. Studia Periegetica, 50(2), 2204. https://doi.org/10.58683/sp.2204