Forest Recreation and Tourism
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 1146
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forests represent a vital resource at the intersection of ecological preservation and human engagement. As partially renewable natural systems, their value extends beyond their intrinsic ecological and economic significance to include their capacity to foster recreational and educational activities. In this context, the concept of sustainability transcends the simple dichotomy of conservation versus utilization, highlighting the need for innovative strategies that balance these often competing imperatives.
Ecotourism, a key subcategory of nature-based tourism, offers a promising avenue for leveraging forests as sites for responsible and immersive experiences. This form of tourism not only provides an opportunity for public education and recreation but also fosters awareness of forest ecosystems and their complex dynamics. Such awareness can catalyze support for conservation efforts, particularly in forested areas where natural ecosystems remain under-researched or face increasing anthropogenic pressures.
This Special Issue seeks to update the academic literature on the multifaceted relationship between forests and tourism. We aim to explore topics such as the role of tourism in promoting forest conservation, the development of ecotourism as a sustainable practice, and the management challenges associated with recreational forest use. Contributions are encouraged to address theoretical frameworks, case studies, and interdisciplinary approaches that advance our understanding of this dynamic field.
We invite researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to submit original studies, reviews, and conceptual papers that critically engage with themes including (but not limited to) the following:
- Innovative management practices for recreational forest areas;
- Ecotourism's role in fostering environmental stewardship;
- The impacts of tourism on forest conservation and biodiversity;
- Education and public engagement through forest-based tourism;
- Comparative studies on the governance of tourism in forest ecosystems;
- Metrics for assessing sustainability in forest tourism initiatives.
This Special Issue offers an opportunity to contribute to the evolving discourse on forests as dual spaces of ecological integrity and human utility. We look forward to receiving groundbreaking research and insights.
Dr. Dalia Perkumienė
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- forest recreation
- nature-based tourism
- forest utilization
- forest management processes
- integrated tourism applications
- sustainable forest recreation
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