USING MOBILE EYE-TRACKING TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF MASS TOURISM IN ICELAND TOWARDS THE PRINCIPLES OF ECOTOURISM

Since the late 20^th century, ecotourism has grown in popularity. Ecotourism areas should be considered a platform for informal education and exemplify environmental stewardship and conservation. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of annual visitors to Iceland increased from 488,600 to 1,289,140. The pressures of economic development have resulted in the continued promotion of Icelandic tourism, and, subsequently, the rapid development of various tourist destinations. This study used a mixed methods approach including location aware-mobile eye-tracking (LA-MET), post-assessments, and observational data analysis to assess visitor experience and behavior in two popular Icelandic nature-based tourism destinations: Sólheimajökull and Þingvellir. Within each study area, fifteen participants were outfitted with a Garmin Montana 680 handheld GPS unit and a Tobii Pro Glasses 2 mobile eye-tracking unit. The results of this study were validated through comparison of the behavior and perceptions of LA-MET participants, with observational data collected regarding the behavior of non-participants. The analysis of tourist footpath data was conducted using ESRI’s spatial analyst extension within ArcMAP 10.3. These analyses allowed for the identification of trail deviation and hotspots within the study areas. The extent to which deviation occurred at the Sólheimar glacier in Iceland suggests the need for further development to influence visitor behavior to promote visitor safety and reduce environmental degradation. This study also demonstrated that the use of LA-MET data can provide additional insights into what may influence various behavior and influence visitor experience, which can then inform the future development of these areas and suggest areas of improvement in current management plans. The influence of the glasses on participant behavior was determined to be minimal, thus validating LA-MET as a useful tool in the tourism industry.