气候变化背景下青藏高原地区游客决策与体验分析

青藏高原地区生态环境脆弱,其特殊的自然地理环境使其旅游活动对气候变化的反应更为敏感。本文基于545位入藏游客的问卷调查,实证分析青藏高原地区游客对气候变化因子的认知和体验状况,探究气候变化对青藏高原地区旅游活动的影响机理。得出以下主要结论：① 入藏前游客对天气和气候状况的关注度并不高,但是在旅行中这一因素却是旅游体验的最大影响因素;② 优美的高原自然风光是游客对西藏的核心认知之一,直接影响游客的决策与体验;③ 不同地理区域的游客对高原气候因子的关注度和自然环境要素的重视度并不存在显著差异,动机类型才是显著影响这二者的重要因素。研究进一步表明,青藏高原气候的暖湿化趋势对提升该地区的游客体验有积极作用,但气候变化带来的优势并不能够直接转化为潜在游客的出游活动。

Tourists' decision-making and experience in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the context of climate change

Tourism development is a prominent contributor to climate change, yet it is also a “victim” of climate change. While studies have generally verified the profound impact that climate change can exert on tourism resources as well as tourists’ demand for and attitude towards different types of destinations, how exactly climate change can shape tourism on the ground has much to do with the attributes of a certain destination and its tourist types. Therefore, how tourists may respond to the changes in a certain destination resulted from climate change is of much importance to assess the impact of climate change that can have on that destination. Yet, extant studies in China probing into the relation between climate change and tourism are dominated by a supply side perspective. The eco-environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is fragile and sensitive, and consequently its tourism activities are sensitive to climate change. Based on a questionnaire survey of 545 tourists in Lhasa, this paper analyzes Chinese tourists' perception and experience of the climatic and natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and assess how climate may shape Chinese tourists’ decision-making and experience of the plateau. The main findings are: (1) Chinese tourists pay limited attention to the weather and climate of the plateau before traveling to Tibet, which, however, is the most powerful factor affecting tourist experience on the plateau; (2) The natural scenery of the plateau is one of the core elements shaping the tourist image of Tibet, and it directly influences tourist decision-making and experience. Notably, clean air, blue sky, and white cloud are the core and most important environmental attributes perceived by tourists; (3) It is the types of motivation, rather than the types of geographic region, that significantly affect tourists’ perceptions of climatic and natural environment of the plateau. Compared with sightseeing visitors, deep-experience seekers pay more attention to the weather and climate, and attach more importance to the natural environment of the plateau. The study suggests that the warming and wetting trends of the plateau will have a positive impact on tourist experience there, yet it is not likely to directly influence potential tourists’ decision to visit the plateau.