Image of regulations in the Swiss National Park. Source: https://nationalpark.ch/en/protection-regulations/.
Written by Levan Gogitidze, Levan Kurtanidze, Elspeth O'Connor and Tracy Zimmermann, students from Tbilisi State University and the University of Zurich.
Regulations are an important aspect of human-nature integration in national parks. Many forms of governance and regulations exist in national parks (Pütz et al., 2017, p. 75) and they ensure that tourism, locals, and nature can live side by side without disturbance and conflict. To ensure that human interference with nature is kept to a minimum, the Swiss National Park has specific protection regulations in place (Swiss National Park, 2025). This can also be seen in national parks across the country of Georgia. This post will explore examples of regulations in national parks in both Switzerland and Georgia and will provide an effective comparison between both countries to identify similarities and differences in governance and the current impacts of tourism in their national parks.
Regulations in Georgia:
The regulations in Georgia's protected areas focus on two main ideas: visitor safety and keeping the environment intact. If you plan to hike or camp, you must visit the Visitor Centre first to check in and register your trip. This helps the park staff know where you are for safety reasons. When camping, you are only allowed to set up your tent in special, marked camping sites, not anywhere you choose. Fires are only permitted in designated places, and it is strictly forbidden to collect dead wood or cut trees for burning. Finally, remember that all natural items, such as flowers, rocks, or historical artifacts, must stay in the park. These clear rules ensure local communities are respected and the unique Georgian nature is protected for future generations (Agency of Protected Areas, 2025; National Parks of Georgia, 2025).
Regulations in Switzerland:
Up to 120'000 people visit the national parc every year. In order to protect the nature in the Swiss national parc visitor are asked to interfere as little as possible with the wildlife, so that the fauna and flora can flourish. This means that visitors are to strictly keep to the marked paths, without picking on natural objects on the side of the walks. To minimize disturbance visitors are not allowed during the night or during winter. People are asked to not bring their dogs along, litter, make fires or to bathe in any body of water. The park is only to be crossed on foot, any vehicles or flying objects are not permitted. To enforce all regulations wardens are in place (Swiss National Park, 2025; Swiss Parks Network, n.d.).
When comparing the parks, the main difference is how they control people. Switzerland is much stricter. They want visitors to just look, so you must always stay on the marked paths and cannot enter at night or in winter. In Georgia, the rules are more focused on where you do things. For example, camping is allowed, but only in special, designated areas. Also, in Georgia, you must register your hike at the Visitor Centre for your safety. However, both parks agree on essential rules: you cannot litter, make fires outside of designated spots, or take anything from nature. They both work hard to protect the animals and plants they contain (Agency of Protected Areas, 2025; National Parks of Georgia, 2025; Swiss National Park, 2025; Swiss Parks Network, n.d.).
Regulations in national parks and protected areas are essential so that everyone involved, locals, nature, and tourists, can live side by side. Regulating visitor activities means that national parks can remain a viable place for nature to thrive into the future, this is increasingly important as the effects of climate change and biodiversity crises are being seen globally.
References:
Agency of Protected Areas (2025). Protected Areas. https://apa.gov.ge/en/protected-areas
National Parks of Georgia (2025). Visitor Guide. https://nationalparks.ge/en/master/guide
Pütz, M., Gubler, L., & Willi, Y. (2017). New governance of protected areas: regional nature parks in Switzerland. Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management, 9(special issue), 75–84. https://doi.org/10.1553/eco.mont-9-sis75.
Swiss National Park (2025). Protection regulations. https://nationalpark.ch/en/protection-regulations/
Swiss Parks Network (n.d.). Legal Basis. https://www.parks.swiss/en/the-swiss-parks/what-is-a-park/legal-basis
Image:
Swiss National Park (2025). Protection regulations. https://nationalpark.ch/en/protection-regulations/