Leveraging Information and Communication Technologies in Forest Ecotourism: A Case Study from Poland
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis is a well-written article with an important field of study in tourism industry.
Please indicate your methodology details in the abstract. In the existing version you give information gathering details, however, the methodology details are not given. It is important for the readers to understand the manuscript.
A proper introduction must have background,-motivation-gap-purpose-why this methology is selected (advantages)-findings in brief- contributions in brief details. Please add details to prove your work's contribution and novelty. This is a nice chance to improve your introduction part with these details.
The main body of the text is ok.
However, please separate the discussion and conclusion sections at the end, and please avoid to include the references to the consclusion.
Besides, a conclusion must have background, purpose and methodology in brief, findings in detail, managerial and practical implications, theoretical contributions, originality of the research, limitations and further research ideas. Please cover that issues.
Author Response
Manuscript ID: sustainability-2674854
Title: The use of information and communication technologies to create ecotourism an Example of Forest Tourism and Forest Recreation
Authors: Monika Kozlowska-Adamczak, Patrycja Essing-Jelonkiewicz, Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Received: 06 October 2023; Submitted to section: C: Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
GENERAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
As the authors of the publication, we would like to thank you for reading and receiving the article positively, as well as for valuable comments and suggestions regarding the paper. We agree with most of the Reviewer’s comments highlighted in the paper. The paper has been revised and the all comments have been accounted for.
I hope that the proposed improved manuscript will be suitable for your journal SUSTAINABILITY,
on behalf of the authors,
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
REPORT 1
1) Please indicate your methodology details in the abstract.
Answer: The methodology has been added to the abstract.
2) A proper introduction must have background,-motivation-gap-purpose-why this methology is selected (advantages)-findings in brief- contributions in brief details.
Answer: We have made the appropriate changes. The detailed stages of the research and the methodology used are described in the Methodology subsection, including but not limited to: the reason for using the main survey method in the paper is explained, a diagram of the detailed research procedure is included.
The theoretical assumptions, the literature review and the current state of research are presented in Chapter 2.
3) However, please separate the discussion and conclusion sections at the end, and please avoid to include the references to the consclusion.
Answer: In accordance with the reviewer's suggestions, a division was made into Discussion and Conclusion chapters. The reviewer's suggestions have been incorporated into the article.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsEcotourism is a very important concept in terms of sustainable environment and tourism. The article presents in great detail and in a systematic way the activities carried out regarding the development of a new tourism and recreation offer forests in Poland.t is understood that the article will contribute greatly to the literature as a very multi-dimensional and detailed research covering a period of 15 years. Its methodology is appropriate and understandable both in terms of theory and practice. It is an important research that will benefit all stakeholders and decision makers regarding ecotourism, especially Poland.
Author Response
REVISION NOTES
Manuscript ID: sustainability-2674854
Title: The use of information and communication technologies to create ecotourism an Example of Forest Tourism and Forest Recreation
Authors: Monika Kozlowska-Adamczak, Patrycja Essing-Jelonkiewicz, Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Received: 06 October 2023; Submitted to section: C: Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
GENERAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
As the authors of the publication, we would like to thank you for reading and receiving the article positively, as well as for valuable comments and suggestions regarding the paper. We agree with most of the Reviewer’s comments highlighted in the paper. The paper has been revised and the all comments have been accounted for.
I hope that the proposed improved manuscript will be suitable for your journal SUSTAINABILITY,
on behalf of the authors,
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
REPORT 2
Answer: Thank you very much for your favorable review. We have made corrections for better reception of our article. They are marked in red in the text.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsTitle is awkwardly phrased. A potential rephrasing might be: "Leveraging Information and Communication Technologies in Forest Ecotourism: A Case Study from Poland."
Abstract:
The abstract reads more like an introduction, with a large chunk dedicated to general information about ecotourism, rather than succinctly presenting the core findings, methods, and implications of the study. It would benefit from a more concise approach that directly highlights the study's unique contribution.
Clarity could be improved by focusing on the main findings related to the use of technology in forest tourism in Poland, without excessive introductory remarks.
Methodology:
The paper seems to rely solely on desk research and an analysis of internal reports from the General Directorate of the State Forests. While this might be useful as a starting point, the methodology seems limited in scope. Incorporating primary research methods like surveys, interviews, or direct observations could provide a richer, more in-depth analysis. Especially quantitative analysis.
The mention of the time span and the data sources is embedded within the abstract which is not standard.
Content:
There seems to be a lack of logical flow, especially in terms of method introduction. The transition between sections needs to be clearer to guide the reader.
Redundancies are evident, especially in the description of ecotourism and its importance. Tightening up the prose and eliminating repetition would enhance readability.
For example: „The Materials and Methods should be described with sufficient details to allow oth- 122 ers to replicate and build on the published results. Please note that the publication of your 123 manuscript implicates that you must make all materials, data, computer code, and proto- 124 cols associated with the publication available to readers. Please disclose at the submission 125 stage any restrictions on the availability of materials or information. New methods and 126 protocols should be described in detail while well-established methods can be briefly de- 127 scribed and appropriately cited.”
The academic expression requires strengthening. Some phrases appear casual, and more precise academic language would be beneficial.
While the paper touches upon technological innovations such as mobile apps and social media, there's room to delve deeper into how these technologies are concretely impacting forest tourism in Poland. Practical examples, case studies, or real-world impacts would be beneficial.
Literature is mostly polish authors, consider: Chen, Y., Chen, Z., Guo, D., Zhao, Z., Lin, T.,... Zhang, C. (2022). Underground space use of urban built-up areas in the central city of Nanjing: Insight based on a dynamic population distribution. Underground Space,
Fang, Y., Wang, H., Fang, P., Liang, B., Zheng, K., Sun, Q.,... Wang, A. (2023). Life cycle assessment of integrated bioelectrochemical-constructed wetland system: environmental sustainability and economic feasibility evaluation. Resources, Conservation and Recycling,
Ding, K., Choo, W. C., Ng, K. Y., & Zhang, Q. (2023). Exploring changes in guest preferences for Airbnb accommodation with different levels of sharing and prices: Using structural topic model. Frontiers in psychology,
Yin, Z., Liu, Z., Liu, X., Zheng, W., & Yin, L. (2023). Urban heat islands and their effects on thermal comfort in the US: New York and New Jersey. Ecological Indicators,
Contribution
At present, the paper’s contribution seems marginal. While it points out the use of new technologies in forest tourism, it does not sufficiently highlight why this is groundbreaking or of significant academic interest. The study could benefit from improved methods and unique findings or novel approaches.
Comments on the Quality of English Languagenot very good, redundancy, lack of academic expression
Author Response
REVISION NOTES
Manuscript ID: sustainability-2674854
Title: The use of information and communication technologies to create ecotourism an Example of Forest Tourism and Forest Recreation
Authors: Monika Kozlowska-Adamczak, Patrycja Essing-Jelonkiewicz, Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Received: 06 October 2023; Submitted to section: C: Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
GENERAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
As the authors of the publication, we would like to thank you for reading and receiving the article positively, as well as for valuable comments and suggestions regarding the paper. We agree with most of the Reviewer’s comments highlighted in the paper. The paper has been revised and the all comments have been accounted for.
I hope that the proposed improved manuscript will be suitable for your journal SUSTAINABILITY,
on behalf of the authors,
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
REPORT 3
1) Title is awkwardly phrased. A potential rephrasing might be: "Leveraging Information and Communication Technologies in Forest Ecotourism: A Case Study from Poland."
Answer: The title has been changed in accordance with the reviewer's suggestion.
2) Abstract: It would benefit from a more concise approach that directly highlights the study's unique contribution.
Answer: In accordance with the reviewer's instructions, changes have been made to the text.
3) While this might be useful as a starting point, the methodology seems limited in scope. Incorporating primary research methods like surveys, interviews, or direct observations could provide a richer, more in-depth analysis.
Answer: The paper uses surveys and interviews on selected representatives of forest districts. For a better perception of the research methods used in the work, a completed diagram of the detailed research procedure is included in the article.
“The research consisted of conducting an environmental survey among representatives of all forest districts in Poland in the period from 25.04.203 to 27.05.2023. The entire research procedure, prior to the survey, was quite lengthy and required receiving official approvals from the General Directorate of State Forests. It was preceded by a pilot survey conducted in 2022 (1-12.08.2022) on a group of 10 representatives of forest districts from the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Toruń. A questionnaire survey questionnaire was created in Microsoft Forms web-based program, which was made available online to representatives of all Forest Districts of the State Forests in Poland participating in the project "Stay overnight in the forest" from 01.05.2021”.
3) While the paper touches upon technological innovations such as mobile apps and social media, there's room to delve deeper into how these technologies are concretely impacting forest tourism in Poland. Practical examples, case studies, or real-world impacts would be beneficial.
Answer: As of 2022, 80.7% of the total forest area in Poland was public, of which as much as 76.9% is owned by the State Treasury under the management of the State Forest Holding - State Forests (PGL LP). Therefore, it is not surprising that the article is a kind of case study showing how, for the past 16 years, the State Forests in Poland, in addition to traditional forms and tools (e.g., educational classes and workshops, events and events popularizing nature-forest education, a system of marking and development of tourist infrastructure, etc.) have been using information and communication technology (including social media, websites or forestry applications) to create a contemporary tourist and recreational offer in Polish forest ecotourism. The entire Chapter 4 "Results" shows how over the years the State Forests have expanded their traditional tourism and recreation offerings with modern technologies. Of particular importance here are the 13 forest mobile applications (Table 2) that allow active and safe use of forest areas for various activities from walking, running, mushrooming, to the implementation of outdoor games or more specialized activities, i.e. cycling or bushcraft and survival.
A great example illustrating the innovativeness of forests and forest ecotourism offerings in Poland is the implementation, as of 01.05.2021, in forest districts across the country of the "Stay overnight in the forest" program (N=425 forest districts participating in the program). It should be noted that the course of the program in different parts of the country is currently linked to the functionality of the Forest Tourist Guide website (www.czaswlas.pl) and the mobile application of the Forest Data Bank (mBDL), as demonstrated, among other things, by surveys conducted in the study and interviews conducted among representatives of forest districts.
4) Literature is mostly polish authors.
Answer: There are about 32 items of foreign (not Polish) literature in the bibilography
According to the suggestions, more literature items were introduced [65, 96, 67].
Reviewer 4 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsComments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Please review the grammar and sentence structure
Author Response
REVISION NOTES
Manuscript ID: sustainability-2674854
Title: The use of information and communication technologies to create ecotourism an Example of Forest Tourism and Forest Recreation
Authors: Monika Kozlowska-Adamczak, Patrycja Essing-Jelonkiewicz, Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Received: 06 October 2023; Submitted to section: C: Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
GENERAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
As the authors of the publication, we would like to thank you for reading and receiving the article positively, as well as for valuable comments and suggestions regarding the paper. We agree with most of the Reviewer’s comments highlighted in the paper. The paper has been revised and the all comments have been accounted for.
I hope that the proposed improved manuscript will be suitable for your journal SUSTAINABILITY,
on behalf of the authors,
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
REPORT 4
1) Title - If necessary, the title can be summarized, focusing directly on the variables under study, namely forest tourism and forest recreation.
Answer: The title of the article has been changed in accordance with the reviewer's suggestion.
2) Abstract - The maximum word count for the abstract should not exceed 200 words. - The abstract does not clearly contain the methods used, results, and conclusions of the research conducted; it should not merely provide a general description. - The conclusions stated in the abstract align with the research questions, ensuring they do not deviate from the research objectives previously presented.
Answer: The abstract has been revised in accordance with the reviewer's suggestion, including the methodology has been added to the abstract.
3) Keywords - Use keywords that are not only phrases but also reflect the scientific field studied in the research.
Answer: Keywords have been revised as suggested by the reviewer
4) The research questions stated in the introduction are not clear and do not describe what is to be investigated. Research questions should be formulated as steps in the research method, rather than as statements that are already clear.
Answer: Research questions have been ordered as suggested by the reviewer
5) Methods - Clearly outline the sampling and data collection techniques, the types of data used, and the data analysis method. - Ensure that the hypotheses stated in this section are consistent with the narrative in the preceding section. - Some paragraphs are written redundantly; review the entire narrative in this section and make corrections as needed.
Answer: We have made the appropriate changes. The detailed stages of the research and the methodology used are described in the Methodology subsection, including the following: the reason for using the main method of survey research in the paper is explained, the text is supplemented with a diagram of the detailed research procedure.
5) Results - The “stay overnight in the forest” program should ideally begin with an explanation of the utilization of the study area as a forest tourism and forest recreation area. - The results presented in the study should align with the variables in the title.
Answer: We have made the appropriate changes.
6) Discussions and Conclusion - The first paragraph in this section provides overly general explanations
Answer: We have made the appropriate changes.
Reviewer 5 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis paper describes the activities currently undertaken in connection with the development of a new tourism and recreation plan in the forests being the property of the State Treasury and administered by the State Forests National Forest Holding (SF) in Poland. The research shows that using innovative improvements and modern information and communications technology (such as mobile apps, social media, websites etc.) introduced by the SF help develop forest tourism and forest recreation in Poland and design new tourism products in rural areas offering sustainable tourism.
*The title of the manuscript is confusing. It must be comprehensive and concise to reflect the present work.
*English language needs careful editing by a technical expert for clarity.
*Author's instructions from the text should be removed. They only meant to provide guidelines and should be excluded from the manuscript before submission. For example:
*Line 122-128: The Materials and Methods should be described with sufficient details to allow others to replicate and build on the published results. Please note that the publication of your manuscript implicates that you must make all materials, data, computer code, and protocols associated with the publication available to readers. Please disclose at the submission stage any restrictions on the availability of materials or information. New methods and protocols should be described in detail while well-established methods can be briefly described and appropriately cited.
*Line 252-254: This section may be divided by subheadings. It should provide a concise and precise description of the experimental results, their interpretation, as well as the experimental conclusions that can be drawn.
*Line 307-308: Table A2 missing. Only caption is present.
*Line 329: This paragraph needs attention 'Analysed were two apps with a typically sightseeing content ...'
**Some typos in the text need correction. For example:
*Line 227: '25.04.203' should be replaced by '25.04.2023'
*Fig. 3: 'Hipothesis' should be corrected as 'Hypothesis'
*Line 281: This sentences is not clear: 'to create tourist and sightseeing information and promote active recreation in the forest - Figure 5.'
etc.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageExtensive improvements needed for English language correction.
Author Response
REVISION NOTES
Manuscript ID: sustainability-2674854
Title: The use of information and communication technologies to create ecotourism an Example of Forest Tourism and Forest Recreation
Authors: Monika Kozlowska-Adamczak, Patrycja Essing-Jelonkiewicz, Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Received: 06 October 2023; Submitted to section: C: Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
GENERAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
As the authors of the publication, we would like to thank you for reading and receiving the article positively, as well as for valuable comments and suggestions regarding the paper. We agree with most of the Reviewer’s comments highlighted in the paper. The paper has been revised and the all comments have been accounted for.
I hope that the proposed improved manuscript will be suitable for your journal SUSTAINABILITY,
on behalf of the authors,
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
REPORT 5
1) The title of the manuscript is confusing. It must be comprehensive and concise to reflect the present work.
Answer: The title of the article has been changed.
2) Author's instructions from the text should be removed. They only meant to provide guidelines and should be excluded from the manuscript before submission. For example:
*Line 122-128: The Materials and Methods should be described with sufficient details to allow others to replicate and build on the published results.
Answer: The detailed stages of the research and the methodology used are described in chapter Methodology subsection - a supplemented diagram of the detailed research procedure is included to make it easier to follow each step.
*Line 252-254: This section may be divided by subheadings. It should provide a concise and precise description of the experimental results, their interpretation, as well as the experimental conclusions that can be drawn.
Answer: The title of the article has been changed
*Line 307-308: Table A2 missing. Only caption is present.
Answer: The table is in a separate file.
*Line 329: This paragraph needs attention 'Analysed were two apps with a typically sightseeing content ...'
Answer: Table 2 on forest mobile applications now enables a full understanding of the analysis.
**Some typos in the text need correction. For example:
*Line 227: '25.04.203' should be replaced by '25.04.2023'
Answer: The error has been corrected.
*Fig. 3: 'Hipothesis' should be corrected as 'Hypothesis'
Answer: The error has been corrected.
*Line 281: This sentences is not clear: 'to create tourist and sightseeing information and promote active recreation in the forest - Figure 5.'
Answer: The problem arose from the translation, the authors fixed the error.
Reviewer 6 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIn the abstract, please put the main results of the work in a big summary.
Maybe it is better not to duplicate the keywords appearing in the title of the work.
The title of chapter 2.2 Maybe the title needs to be changed to "rights or restrictions on practicing forest tourism and recreation..." because the description itself is more based on restrictions and not rules.
Chapter 3.1.
How do the data for the whole country relate to the data received from the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Torun. I understand that they will be described only as an additional element in the rest of the work, otherwise it would be wrong to compare two such different areas.
The form of the work itself qualifies more as a report because the work is a very good analysis of data on ecotourism, tourism and forest recreation in Poland.
Author Response
REVISION NOTES
Manuscript ID: sustainability-2674854
Title: The use of information and communication technologies to create ecotourism an Example of Forest Tourism and Forest Recreation
Authors: Monika Kozlowska-Adamczak, Patrycja Essing-Jelonkiewicz, Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Received: 06 October 2023; Submitted to section: C: Tourism, Culture, and Heritage
GENERAL NOTES FOR EDITORS
As the authors of the publication, we would like to thank you for reading and receiving the article positively, as well as for valuable comments and suggestions regarding the paper. We agree with most of the Reviewer’s comments highlighted in the paper. The paper has been revised and the all comments have been accounted for.
I hope that the proposed improved manuscript will be suitable for your journal SUSTAINABILITY,
on behalf of the authors,
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
REPORT 6
1) In the abstract, please put the main results of the work in a big summary.
Answer: Abstact has been revised as suggested by the reviewer.
2) Maybe it is better not to duplicate the keywords appearing in the title of the work.
Answer: Key words have been corrected.
3) The title of chapter 2.2 Maybe the title needs to be changed to "rights or restrictions on practicing forest tourism and recreation..." because the description itself is more based on restrictions and not rules.
Answer: The subtitle has been changed as suggested by the reviewer
3) Chapter 3.1. How do the data for the whole country relate to the data received from the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Torun. I understand that they will be described only as an additional element in the rest of the work, otherwise it would be wrong to compare two such different areas.
The form of the work itself qualifies more as a report because the work is a very good analysis of data on ecotourism, tourism and forest recreation in Poland.
Answer: The main survey from 2023 on a group of 425 forest districts authorized to conduct the survey it was preceded by a pilot survey conducted one year before in 2022 (i.e. 1-12.08.2022) and supplemented with telephone interviews (conducted from 29.07 to 12.08.2022) among representatives on a group of 10 representatives of selected forest districts of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Toruń taking part in the Stay overnight in the State Forests Programme, were taken into account in the analysis.
The main purpose of using the survey questionnaire in the pilot study and conducting telephone interviews with selected forest districts of the RDSF in Toruń was primarily to verify the meaningfulness of the prepared survey questionnaire, and after the survey was completed, also to help forest districts clarify interpretative doubts about the use of tools for the implementation of tourism and recreation (including ecotourism) in forest areas. The results of the spatial distribution of the use of various tools for creating and promoting contemporary tourism and recreational offer of forests in Poland (including those of RDSF in Torun) are shown in Fig. 8 "Spatial diversity of the 6 tools for creating and promoting contemporary tourism and recreational offer of forests in Poland". "Spatial diversity of the 6 main tools used in Poland to create and promote the current tourist and recreational offer in forest areas managed by Forest Districts supervised by the Regional Directorates of State Forests".
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsWhile some improvements have been made to the paper more work needs to be put into the paper to make it worthy of publication.
1. If the core of the paper is also based on survey method please present a summary table of the results. There is no need to include many insignificant figures especially as the entire text is not visible. Each question respondents replied do not warrant a seperate chart. Please make a summary table only, and eliminate the redundant figures in that represent replies in percentages to an individual question.
2. While there are many references in the paper , they are still not of sufficient quality. Following are suggested to increase the theoretical foundation and potential impact of your paper if published consider: E-Commerce Development and Green Technology Innovation: Impact Mechanism and the Spatial Spillover Effect
Underground space use of urban built-up areas in the central city of Nanjing: Insight based on a dynamic population distribution. Underground Space,
Life cycle assessment of integrated bioelectrochemical-constructed wetland system: environmental sustainability and economic feasibility evaluation. Resources, Conservation and Recycling,
Exploring changes in guest preferences for Airbnb accommodation with different levels of sharing and prices: Using structural topic model. Frontiers in psychology,
Urban heat islands and their effects on thermal comfort in the US: New York and New Jersey. Ecological Indicators,
Comments on the Quality of English Languageproofreading and editing of some parts suggested
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
In accordance with the reviewer's instructions, we removed Figure 7 and inserted Table 4 in its place. We also removed unnecessary information in the text.
In the Chapter Theoretical Background we inserted an additional subchapter on ICT. We used two literature references that have been recommended by your person.
Kind regards,
Reviewer 5 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe paper is in good shape after incorporating all comments. However, i see that the description of work and paper structure is not elaborated at the end of the introduction section. It is a good practice to follow as:
The paper is organized as follows: Section 2 describes ...., In Section 3,... Finally, Section 4 concludes the paper.
This standard format helps the reader to understand the structure of the paper.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
according to your to your suggestions, we have added information on the structure and chapters of the paper in the Chapter Introduction.
Kind regards,
Round 3
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authorsa figure that reports only reply percentages on one question still seems redundant, and paper can benefit from being more coherent and concise
Comments on the Quality of English Languageok
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
In accordance with the reviewer's suggestions, a correction has been made. Figures 8 and 9 have been removed from the text.
Greetings
Authors
