Strategic planning for parks and recreation (P & R) in municipalities occurs worldwide, but evaluation of the process and content of such planning is scarce. This study evaluated those factors that lead to success in P & R planning in a case study area, the Province of Ontario in Canada. Research revealed the factors required for successful implementation of P & R plans, including 23 factors in planning process; 26 in plan content, 10 in human/implementation, and 13 obstacles to implementation. The research concluded that some of the planning deficiencies found were due to the absence of a coherent provincial policy toward plan development and content. In addition, the research found weakness in the capability of many P & R agencies, and especially those of smaller municipalities to undertake and implement strategic planning. The 71 identified planning factors that play a role in improving plan implementation should be applicable wherever strategic planning for P & R is undertaken.

Research on the advance-booking behavior of park visitors found that 72% of reservations were made before arrival at the park, indicating substantial demand for the booking system. The length of the booking period peaked for groups of 6 (70 days) and declined according to group size. It is probable that as the number of travellers in a group increases, the complexity of making travel arrangements also increases, encouraging trip planning further in advance. Competition amongst park visitors is highest for developed sites with infrastructure such as cabins and yurts, or for locations designed to cater to large recreational vehicles, suggesting higher demand than supply. Sites with minimum levels of infrastructure (i.e., those without electricity) have shorter mean booking lengths, probably due to the large supply of these types of sites. Visitors using less complex equipment (i.e., tents instead of trailers) also exhibited lower mean booking lengths. This study highlights connections between booking activities, visitor motivation, and visitor behavior in camping in parks.

We use a model of psychological commitment to better understand the diverse motivations that enhance behavioural loyalty to parks and protected areas. Psychological commitment reflects the degree to which an individual identifies with, wants to learn about, and chooses freely to engage with a particular phenomenon, and these factors, in turn, lead to greater loyalty and resistance to alternatives. With data collected from 634 park visitors in Alberta, Canada, we tested demographic variation and motivations that may be linked to this process of commitment. Women were more likely than men to see park visits as a reflection of their identities and also had a greater sense of volition regarding park visits. Older adults wanted to know more about the parks and also had a greater overall level of commitment. Psycho-social, spiritual, and economic motivations varied in terms of their associations with commitment, but these associations were always positive. Few variations in motivations by demographic characteristics were found. Finally, a combined assessment of commitment was associated with greater behavioural loyalty (e.g. duration and number of park visits). Park agencies can use these findings to attract and retain visitors and facilitate park experiences, with special emphasis on motives and demographic variations.