Mid Sweden University

The acoustic environment is a major attractor of protected areas, and listening to the sounds that emerge from natural areas are among the main motivations for tourists to visit natural and protected areas. Numbers of visitors are expected to be constantly increasing. The presence of humans is known to have effects on both, biodiversity and wildlife in protected areas, as well as the quality of experiences of visitors, and consequently, on the soundscape. Soundscapes are the composition of sounds emerging from an area; but more than just being the acoustic environment, soundscapes refer to the constructed perception and experience of that environment. The interest in soundscapes and how they are perceived has been rising, also in the context of protected areas. However, most studies have focused on soundscapes in relation to satisfaction and appeal, measuring pleasantness with quantitative methods, or framing soundscapes for their restorative values. This is disregarding the many facets of soundscape experiences in natural environments, and also does not sufficiently take into consideration the ways in which people relate to and connect with their natural environment. Thus the aim for this study to contribute to a better understanding of the soundscape experience, and to further investigate on intersections with nature-connectedness. Taking a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding, interviews were conducted in chosen national parks in Sweden. The analysis resulted in the elaboration of four themes: 1.) appraisal of soundscapes, 2.) constituting space, 3.) engaging with the natural environment, and 4.) silence as space. The results also indicate potential in fostering human-nature-connectedness in soundscapes. The findings of the study are hoped to contribute to both, a better understanding of the multidimensional experience of soundscapes as part of the tourism experience, as well as to the application-oriented debate of the human-nature relationship.