Deutsch Intern
Geography and Regional Science

Sarah Bittlingmaier, M.Sc.

Chair of Geography and Regional Science

Phone.: +49 931 31-83759
E-Mail: sarah.bittlingmaier@uni-wuerzburg.de

Institute of Geography and Geology
Am Hubland
97074 Würzburg

Campus Southern Hubland
Geography buildung
Room 322b

Upon request

  • Sustainable regional development
  • Economy in protected areas
  • Tourism
  • Management of protected areas
  • Park-people relationships of protected areas

Regional economic effects of sustainable tourism in nature parks and 'total economic valuation' of the National Natural Landscapes

In recent years, almost all German national parks and biosphere reserves have now been analyzed with regard to their regional economic effects on the surrounding regions. The resulting data, such as the number of visitors per year or the proportion of guests coming because of the status as a protected area, are part of the Integrative Monitoring Program of the Federal Government and the Federal/State Working Group on Nature Conservation, Landscape Management and Recreation (LANA). For the category of nature parks, such an assessment of their importance for the tourism economy in Germany is still pending. Due to the large number of nature parks with more than 100 representatives, however, it is not possible to carry out a comprehensive case-by-case analysis. Instead, a nationwide statement is made on the basis of detailed knowledge of selected case studies by means of extrapolation. Furthermore, it is the aim of the project to carry out a 'total economic valuation' for the first time on the basis of the results on the economic importance of tourism as well as further analyses for all three categories of National Natural Landscapes.

Regional economic effects of tourism in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park as a contribution to improved communication of natural values

The Wadden Sea as a unique natural area with global significance for bird migration is a landscape worthy of protection. The designation as a national park aims to ensure an undisturbed operation of natural processes in their natural dynamics. In addition, it is intended to serve the scientific observation of the environment, natural history education and the experience of nature for the population. The North Frisian mainland, the islands and Halligen have always been a tourist highlight and highly frequented. In addition to the role of the national park as a travel motive, the study also aims to consider the growing role of the UNESCO biosphere reserve and the UNESCO World Natural Heritage designation in the analysis. The interest lies on the travel decisions of the visitors and their tourist expenditures in order to investigate the economic importance of tourism for the region. The first and so far only survey for the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea took place in 2012 and now receives an update on new results on tourism development through a methodologically comparable study.

Regional economic effects of tourism in the Berchtesgadener Land Biosphere Reserve

Regional economic effects of tourism in the Hamburg and Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Parks

Park-people relationships of the Berchtesgaden National Park

Park-people relationships of the Bavarian Forest National Park

since 05/2019
Research associate at University of Würzburg, Chair of Geography and Regional Research

01/2019
Master of Science in Applied Human Geography, University of Würzburg, Germany
Focal points: research of acceptance and attitude, predictors, locals, National Parks, Expert interviews

01/2017
Bachelor of Science in Geography, University of Würzburg, Germany
Focal points: nature tourism, Alps, protected areas

Professional Experience

05/2016 – 04/2019
Student assistant at University of Würzburg, Chair of Geography and Regional Research

06/2018-12/2018
energy agency lower franconia e.V. Würzburg

10/2017-02/2018
Internship, UNESCO biosphere region Berchtesgaden Country

09/2016-10/2016
Internship, imakomm Akademie GmbH

Frieser, A., Bittlingmaier, S., Piana, T., Majewski, L. (2023): „Ökonomische Bewertung des nachhaltigen Tourismus in deutschen Naturparken“. In: Kühne, O., Sedelmeier, T., Jenal, C., Freytag, T. (Hrsg.): Landschaft und Tourismus. RaumFragen: Stadt – Region – Landschaft. Wiesbaden.

Job, H., Majewski, L., Engelbauer, M., Bittlingmaier, S., Woltering, M. (2021): Establishing a standard for park visitation analyses: Insigths from Germany. In: Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism 35, S. 1-19.

Job, H., Bittlingmaier, S. ,Mayer, M., von Ruschkowski, E. und Woltering, M. (2021): Park-People Relationships: The Socioeconomic Monitoring of National Parks in Bavaria, Germany. In: Sustainability 13 (16): 8984

Job, H., Fließbach-Schendzielorz, M., Bittlingmaier, S., Herling, A., Woltering, M. (2019): Akzeptanz der bayerischen Nationalparks (= Würzburger Geographische Arbeiten 122). Würzburg.