Visitors' Multi-Dimensional Decision-Making Approach: A Pilot Case Study on a UNESCO Protected Area

The Samaria National Park in Chania, Crete, Greece was established in 1962 and has since been one of the most well-known protected areas of Greece. It attracts thousands of visitors every year and creates a social and economic environment for various local businesses such as hotels and restaurants. Most of those businesses operate seasonally for the same time period as the park and owe a high percentage of their turnover to the park's visitors. Tourists spend a large share of their budget for various goods and services during their visit which has a considerable impact on the economy of the whole region of Chania. However, because of the fact that the Samaria National Park is a natural asset, its value as a touristic multi-attraction is often overlooked or taken for granted. This research attempts to explore the preferences of tourists who have visited the island of Crete and the Samaria National Park, and the overall impact of that activity on the local economy. The approach involves collecting questionnaires during the period that the park operates, from May to October, in order to derive primary data about the preferences, attitudes, socio-demographic profiles and satisfaction criteria of tourists towards the park.