Dr. Lisa Majewski

Upon request

• Economics of protected areas
• Tourism impact research
• Management of protected areas

A new way of monitoring the added value of nature tourism in the National Natural Landscapes: Development of a Germany-wide input-output application

• Funding body: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
• Duration: 03/2024 – 10/2025
• Budget: 168.600 EUR
• Leadership: Dr. Lisa Majewski
• Contact person: Dr. Lisa Majewski

The value added by nature tourism serves as an indicator for the comprehensive monitoring of National Natural Landscapes (NNL), facilitating ongoing assessment of these areas’ development under the influence of human activities. Based on the expertise and experience gained from studies at the Chair of Geography and Regional Science, a method for determining visitor numbers and structures in the NNL was developed. This research project is focused on measuring the regional economic value added and employment effects stemming from local tourism expenditures within protected area regions. The value added analysis used so far has been limited in its ability to accurately estimate intermediate business and consumption effects, providing only average estimates thus far. The aim of this research project is to adopt a novel approach by employing input-output analyses to monitor the value added by nature tourism in NNL. This shift in methodology is aimed at enhancing overall analytical frameworks, enabling closer examination of regional structural disparities in the multiplier effects of nature tourism. The goal is to establish a standardized procedure that facilitates the efficient and cost-effective application of input-output methods on a nationwide scale, thereby ensuring comparability across regions while minimizing resource and time expenditure.

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

• Funding body: UFOPLAN – BMU/Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Bonn
• Duration: 07/2020 – 12/2024
• Budget: 508.000 EUR
• Leadership: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hubert Job
• Contact persons: Sarah Bittlingmaier, M.Sc., Anna Frieser, M.Sc., Dr. Lisa Majewski, Dr. Manuel Woltering

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.

05/2023
Research stay at the United States National Park Service (NPS) in Fort Collins/Colorado

2022
Promotion, Dr. rer. nat., Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Dissertation: Methodology of regional econoic impact analyses of tourism in protected areas: Application of input-output analysis for adaptation to international standards using the Black Forest Biosphere Reserve as a case study"

since 07/2017
Research associate at University of Würzburg, Chair of Geography and Regional Research

03/2019 – 05/2019
Research stay as part of the dissertation project at United States National Park Service (NPS) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Fort Collins/Colorado.  

05/2017
Master of Science in Applied Human Geography, University of Würzburg, Germany
Focal points: Tourism, Regional economy, Regional development, UNESCO biosphere reserves, Sustainable financing, Payments for public goods, Expert interviews

02/2015
Bachelor of Science in Geography, University of Würzburg, Germany
Focal points: Tourism, Tourism offers and services, Management of protected areas, UNESCO biosphere reserves, Evaluation

Professional Experience

02/2017 – 06/2017
Student assistant at University of Würzburg, Chair of Geography and Regional Research

08/2016 – 12/2016
Working project, Bavarian Administration Office UNESCO biosphere reserve Rhön, Online survey, Assessments of inhabitants of UNESCO biosphere reserve Rhön about the regional development, used for the integrative process of writing the new framework concept for biosphere reserves

05/2016 – 07/2016
Internship, Bavarian Administration Office UNESCO biosphere reserve Rhön, Writing the new framework concept for biosphere reserves

03/2016 – 04/2016
Internship, District Administration Office of Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Regional development

10/2014 – 06/2015
Student assistant at University of Würzburg, Chair of Geography and Regional Research

08/2013 – 07/2014
Team leader Outgoing Exchange, AIESEC in Würzburg

02/2012 – 03/2012
Voluntary work in a children’s home in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, AIESEC in Würzburg

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.

Majewski, L., Koontz, L. (2022): "Die ökonomische Rolle des Naturtourismus in den Nationalparks der USA". In: Geographische Rundschau 3, S. 22-26.

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

Spenceley, A., Schägner, J. P., Engels, B., Cullinate Thomas, C., Engelbauer, M., Erkkonen, J., Job, H., Kajala, L., Majewski, L., Mayer, M., Metzler, D., Rylance, A., Scheder, N., Smith-Christensen, C., Souza, T. B., Woltering, M., (2021): Visitors count! Guidance for protected areas on the economic analysis of visitation. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. Paris/Bonn.

Majewski, L., Job, H. (2019): Tourismusfinanzierte Regionalentwicklung in deutschen Biosphärenreservaten: das Beispiel Rhön. In: Natur und Landschaft 94 (5): 196-201.

Majewski, L., Engelbauer, M., Job, H. (2019): Tourismus und nachhaltige Entwicklung in deutschen Naturparken. In: Natur und Landschaft 94 (9+10): 422-426.