Experiences and enjoyment of national parks: study of Nyerere National Park in Tanzania

Purpose This study examines experiences and enjoyment of national parks in the context of Tanzania.Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional design with quantitative and qualitative methods is applied. The study area is Nyerere National Park in Tanzania. Data collected from fully completed structured questionnaires by 360 domestic tourists are subjected to descriptive statistics and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling analysis. Content analysis is used to analyze qualitative data.Findings The findings have revealed that there is a significant relationship between direct experiences and enjoyment of southern national parks among domestic tourists.Research limitations/implications The suggestion is for future studies to explore a longitudinal approach to determine the patterns of domestic tourists in reference to experiences and enjoyment of national parks so as to improve domestic tourism.Practical implications The practical implication is for the government, private sector and tourism stakeholders to improve infrastructure and conduct regular surveys and tour guide training.Originality/value This study examines experiences and enjoyment of national parks in the context of Tanzania and, specifically analyzes the relationship between direct experiences and enjoyment of southern national parks among domestic tourists in Tanzania guided by types of tourists’ theory.