RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESORT LIFE CYCLE AND RESIDENTS＇ PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE -A Case Study of Putuo Mountain

The change in residents‘ perception and attitude and resort life cycle are the basic problems in the course of resort evolution. This thesis sets up the dynamic model of residents‘perception and attitude, analyzes the linkage between residents‘ perception and attitude and the influential factors of resort life cycle, and finally, with a case study of Putuo Mountain, preliminarily discusses the relationship between resort life cycle and residents‘perception and attitude. The research findings show that, although within development stage of life cycle, Putuo Mountain has already presented some signs of mature stage. The on-the-spot survey also indicates that, the local residents‘ positive perception is stronger than their negative perception. But compared with residents in some other coastal resorts such as Haikou and Sanya, negative perception of residents in Putuo Mountain is more evident, as the result of the smaller tourism carrying capacity in Putuo Mountain. There are some influential factors that have great impact on tourism carrying capacity in Putuo Mountain: tourist-resident number ratio, residents‘ benefit-cost ratio and characteristics of tourism resources. And the less influential factors are residents‘ demographic character, tourist behavioral character and cultural differences between local residents and tourists. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to adjust the structure of tourism product for the purpose of expanding tourism carrying capacity, lowering its pressure, lessening residents‘ environmental cost and enhancing their positive perception, which is the most essential prerequisite for the maturation of life cycle in Putuo Mountain.     

Spatial differentiation of tourism impact based on the perception of residents in mountainous valley resorts

Valley economy is a type of economy that comprehensively utilizes the natural economic and social resources of the region based on environmental protection. This economy utilizes the basic role of the market in disposing resources and achieving regional development and social progress. In this paper we studied the town of Yanqi, a valley resort that has developed tourism-based valley economy for several years in the mountainous area of Beijing. This research identifies the spatial differentiation of tourism-related economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impact and level of support for tourism according to the perception and attitude of residents of Yanqi. The research area was divided into three zones （i.e., core, transition, and peripheral） according to the standard proposed by Jaakson. The residents in all three zones showed a positive attitude toward the tourism industry, and the residents in the core zone had a stronger perception toward the impact of tourism. However, several items indicated the converse. Correlation analysis and analysis of variance were used to explore the correlative factors associated with the attitudes of residents toward the tourism industry. Results indicated major differences among the three zones. Multiple factors, including natural conditions, policies, scenic spots, dependence on the tourism industry, and external investment in the three zones resulted in the spatial differentiationof the perception and attitude of residents toward the impact of tourism.     

Tourism versus nature conservation: reconciliation of common interests and objectives——an analysis through Picos de Europa National Park

Nature tourism and particularly tourism in national parks have acquired significant importance in contemporary societies. Post-Fordist consumers have reevaluated the meanings of ‘nature' and ‘natural spaces' and now avoid standardization to seek singularity. Tourism in national parks is a consequence of this tendency and has both positive and negative aspects. The purpose of this sociological research is to describe the most relevant conflicts in the Picos de Europa National Park(Spain) involving the park's conservation, local economic development,and tourism. Seven in-depth interviews and three focus groups were addressed to key local stakeholders.In this research were identified three chief areas of existing or potential inter-related conflicts and the main actors interacting with them. The first is on population, particularly, the negative consequences of depopulations on the local socio-economic development and the environment. A second source of conflicts identified is caused by the difficult conciliation between commercial exploitation and conservation of the protected natural area. More precisely, this specific form of tourism positively contributes to the economy of local communities whilst problems can arise for the conservation goals of National Parks. Thirdly, in this research is also analyzed the institutional governance and the inter and intra-governmental conflicts as well as with the Park's management body. These findings provide important information for the improved management of tourism and conflicting interests in natural parks.     

An integrated spatial planning of the mountainous landscapes for ski sports in a case area at the eastern Türkiye

Mountainous regions have disadvantages in economic development because of harsh physical and climatic conditions. However, winter tourism activities are one of the key components for supporting economic development in the highlands. Establishing a ski resort area supports direct and indirect employment in a region, and it stops immigration from mountainous regions to other places. This research aimed to assess the potential ski areas using a multi criteria evaluation technique in the Van region ...     

FOUNDATION AND APPLICATION OF BACKGROUND TREND LINE OF CHINA'S INBOUND TOURISM

Modern tourism in China began in 1978(DENG,1994), so far, it has a history of nearly 20 years. A clear trend line has appeared in embryonic form in statistical data on overseas tourists. There is a strong need for theoretical studies. This research paper introduces the concept of tourism background trend line and explores its functions in demonstrating fluctuations in the tourism economy ( barometric function) and in forecasting future tourism development (forecast function). 1 THE CONCE…     

Dark touristic perception: Motivation,experience and benefits interpreted from the visit to seismic memorial sites in Sichuan province

This study investigates the motivations of Chinese domestic tourists visiting seismic memorial sites after the great Wenchuan earthquake of 2008, and examines their interpretation of experiences and benefits of the visits. Recent research on dark tourism has raised the possibility that people are attracted to death and memorial sites in ways different from other tourist attractions. The study used an empirical research design employing questionnaires to collect data from 255 Chinese domestic visitors at seismic memorial sites in west Sichuan. Analysis revealed that the obligation of commemoration mixed with curiosity represents a different set of travel motivation in dark tourism settings than in other kinds of tourism. In addition, the empirical evidence also suggests an interrelated pattern between motivations, experiences and benefits. This study implies that Chinese domestic tourists were attracted in ways different from other tourist attractions both because they tended to fulfill their obligation of commemoration and were interested in destruction; and visitor experiences played an important mediating role between travel motivations and benefits gained.     

Village Network Centrality in Rural Tourism Destination:A Case from Yesanpo Tourism Area,China

With the development of rural tourism, the cooperation of villages has become very important.Identifying the status and importance of each village can contribute to better understanding of the integrated rural tourism management and sustainable rural tourism development. The research focused on 46 villages of Yesanpo scenic spot in China(39°35'-40°north latitude, and 115°16'- 115°30' east longitude). Integrating the method of Geographical Information System(GIS) and social network analysis, the spatial centrality and interrelation of each village in Yesanpo tourism destination were evaluated. The results showed that Xinggezhuang is the spatial core village of the whole 46 villages in Yesanpo tourism areas; Xinggezhuang, Nanzhuang, Zhenchang, Daze, Liujiahe and Zishikou are sub-core villages of the six tourism spots. Magezhuang, Ximagezhuang, Eyu, Zishikou, Daze, Shangzhuang, Zhenchang and Xiazhuang should be support of the core villages, which provide subsidiary services and connects with other nodes. The results also indicated that the study of the village centrality will contribute to build an integrated hierarchy structure and to provide sufficient basis for further development of rural tourism destination.     

Sustainable tourism development in mountain areas in Sumadija and Western Serbia

Sustainable tourism,as an integral part of sustainable development,emerged as a logical outcome of preventing the uncontrolled and excessive use of tourism resources and attractions.This study analyzes whether mountain tourism development in Serbia can be sustainable and feasible in the long term.Given the heterogeneity of mountains in Serbia in terms of tourism development,the subject of this research is the achieved level of sustainable tourism development in mountains in the most developed and most visited region in Serbia-sumadija and Western Serbia:Zlatibor,Kopaonik,Tara,Zlatar,Mokra Gora and Go?.The sustainable tourism development level was analyzed by using five groups of the EU’s comparative indicators:economic,social,cultural,environmental and tourist satisfaction indicators.The results showed that the development of tourism in the examined mountains is not fully aligned with sustainable development.The tourist satisfaction indicator has the most acceptable values,which is a good basis for further harmonization of tourism development on the principles of sustainability.Economic indicators,especially the ratio of overnight stays and accommodation capacities,show the most unacceptable values,which indicate the need for implementing changes in the process of tourism development in the coming period.The analysis of sustainable tourism in mountain areas in sumadija and the Western Serbia undoubtfully points out that it is necessary to significantly change the current tourism product portfolio,which implies harmonizing mountain tourism development with global trends.Certainly,a comparative analysis that looks at the degree of sustainability of mountain tourism in some countries of the Alpine region,such as Switzerland,Austria and Slovenia,contributes to this.The more intensive development of tourism throughout the year would significantly improve indicators of sustainable tourism in all analyzed mountain areas of Sumadija and Western Serbia.This would improve the value of economic indicators,which are marked as the most unsustainable.The development of tourism in the summer season,especially recreational and adventure tourism,would improve the social and cultural component of sustainable tourism.Environmental dimension of sustainable tourism would be enhanced by the development of ecotourism.By connecting spatially close mountains(Zlatibor,Zlatar,Tara and Mokra Gora)into a unique and integrated tourism destination,synergistic effects would be achieved resulting in international recognition and making the region of?umadija and Western Serbia competitive on the European market.     

Rise and fall of recent Chinese coastal resort development: Case of Beihai Silver Beach, Guangxi, China

Based upon a case study of Silver Beach coastal resort of Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, this article examines the rise and fall of Chinese coastal tourist resort development since the 1980s. It explores the causes for and responses to the decline of Chinese coastal resorts. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with twelve local key information providers, and secondary information sources such as government archives, survey reports, and resort plans. It was found that the rise and fall of Chinese coastal resorts in the last three decades is closely linked to the transitional reform from a central planned economy to a market economy. Three stages of coastal tourism development were identified in a sequence of rapid growth, decline and redevelopment. It was government financial funds and high local government involvement that promoted the rapid expansion of coastal resorts during the 1980s. However, coastal resort decline occurred when transitional reform was intensified and deflationary policy executed after 1992. Institutional failure is found to be the main reason of Chinese coastal resorts decline since the mid-1990s. The government-dominated pattern could not be sustained and should be restructured in forthcoming coastal tourism development in China. Revival strategies should emphasize enhancing market-oriented reform in the declining resorts on both supply and demand sides.     

Community responses to mountain tourism: A case in Bhyundar Valley, Indian Himalaya

Tourism industry has become an important part of Indian economy, and tourism development has been, however, concentrated to a few areas. Accumulation of tourism activities has reached the critical stage in most of the tourism centers, which pose serious threats to the natural environment. The Bhyundar Valley of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve （NDBR） in Uttarakhand State of the Indian Himalaya is a burning example of such problems. Land use/cover changes, deforestation and accumulation of garbage are some of the negative impacts of unregulated tourism in the valley. Unsustainable activities of tourists and villagers in the valley make such problems very severe. To deal with the ongoing problems and ensure community involvement in tourism management and environmental conservation, the Biosphere Reserve Authority introduced ecotourism in the form of Eco Development Committees （EDCs） in the Bhyundar Valley. Study reveals that many problems associated with tourism have been minimized to some extent with the help of EDCs but few are still prevailing in valley. However, the existing attempts to conserve the valley from the negative effects of tourism are inadequate and modifications are needed in the current initiatives.     

Distance decay of place attachment and perceived authenticity of mountain tourism destinations in China

Place attachment has been a research focus in the fields of park and recreation management.Place attachment plays an important role in promoting sustainable development of parks and mountain tourism destination,however,there are limited studies that identified the spatial patterns of place attachment,especially in the context of mountain tourism destinations in China.Also,the geospatial spectrum of visitors is usually broad,examining the multivariate relationships among spatial proximity,perceived authenticity,and place attachment are essential for mountain tourism destinations to promote destination image and strengthen emotional bonding with targeted visitor groups.In this study,we selected an iconic and highly visited park,Jiuzhai Valley National Park in China,as our study site and conducted an on-site visitor survey to collect 557 samples.Study uses factor analysis and the structure equation model to analyze the relationship among spatial proximity,perceived authenticity,and place attachment.Results validate the two-dimension structure of place attachment and perceived authenticity.Study findings suggest that spatial proximity has significant impacts on existential authenticity and place identity,but has no significant impacts on place dependence.Perceived authenticity has a positive impact on place attachment.Study results advance the theories of place attachment and provide effective strategies to enhance emotional attachment between visitors and mountain tourism destinations.     

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON RESIDENTS′ PERCEPTION OF TOURISM IMPACT AT TOURIST PLACES——A Case Study of Xidi, Zhouzhuang and Jiuhua Mountain

1INTRODUCTIONRegional impact of tourism has been a basic content oftourism geographical research (BAO and CHU, 1999).A large number of studies have shown that the develop-ment of tourism industry based on service has profoundpositiveandnegative impacts on…     

An assessment of the climatic suitability of Afriski Mountain Resort for outdoor tourism using the Tourism Climate Index(TCI)

Tourism Climatic Indices(TCIs) are widely used in the global North to quantify the climatic suitability of a destination for tourism. Only one such study has been conducted in southern Africa to date. It is in a chronic shortage of research on tourism and climate change in the southern hemisphere. This study presents the application of the TCI in Lesotho, calculated for the eastern Lesotho Highlands. The region has an emerging tourism sector, which primarily comprises outdoor activities.These include hiking, horse-riding, music festivals,mountain biking, cultural visits, sightseeing, and at the Afriski lodge, skiing and snowboarding. These activities are reliant on climatic conditions that are conducive to the activity taking place, prolonged periods outdoors, and tourist satisfaction of the activity. Climate is a major determinant of both the length of season for these activities and the timing of peak tourist arrivals. Rising temperatures and changes in relative humidity and precipitation pose real threats to hiking, sightseeing and snow tourism at Afriski. The reliance of tourism in the region on specific climatic conditions for successful tourism prompted the use of the TCI. TCI results classify the eastern Lesotho Highlands as having.good‘ climatic conditions with an overall TCI score of 64 for the period 2012-2017. Monthly TCI scores for the easternLesotho reveal a bimodal-shoulder, meaning the peak climatic conditions are in the regional summer months(December to February). This conflicts with the peak tourist seasons of summer and winter, which align with South African school holidays, and the timing of the most profitable tourism activity(skiing)which occurs during the winter months of June, July and August. Lesotho is landlocked by South Africa.TCI analysis for South Africa reveals more suitable climatic conditions for tourism than Lesotho, with significantly higher scores of 80-89.     

Evaluation of tourism climate comfort in the Grand Shangri-La region

The Grand Shangri-La(GSL) region has strong international tourist appeal. GSL has considerable international eco-tourist potential as well as being attractive for leisure, vacation, health, explorative, and scientific research activities in addition to high-end tourism experiences. These factors could promote the development of its regional tourism. GSL has been identified as a key area for tourism development in China. In this study, we investigated tourism climate conditions in GSL from 1980 to 2016 using a tourism climate index(TCI). We found that through global warming, the number of annual and monthly good-weather days, as assessed with the TCI, showed an increase over most of GSL; that trend was especially true for very good, excellent, and ideal days. The optimal travel period was May–October. We obtained the same result using cluster heat maps, in which we categorized 31 studied meteorological stations into eight types. However, heavy rainfall tended to occur during that optimal period, and it was concentrated at certain times. The annual total number of comfortable days greater than 300 was mainly located in southern GSL. We observed significant correlations between monthly and annual excellent and ideal days with latitude and elevation; in particular, we identified a significant nonlinear correlation between excellent(and ideal) days and elevation.     

Analysis of Social Integration Models of Tourism Labor Migrants——A Case Study of Jiuhua Mountain of Anhui Province,China

The grounded theory of qualitative methods was applied to researching the social integration of tourism labor migrants in the Jiuhua Mountain of Anhui Province, China. The research was conducted based on the in-depth interviewing of 15 samples, open-consultation and the analysis of secondhand data. The integration models of tourism labor migrants in the Jiuhua Mountain were formed through four processes including theoretic sampling, coding-analysis, cross-tabulation and contextualization. The result shows that modes of production and life styles decide self-integration orientation of tourism labor migrants in the Jiuhua Mountain. Cultural differences are fundamental dissimilarity between tourism labor migrants and natives. There are three kinds of integration models including rapid, free and gradually advancing integration. The differences among different types of migrants＇ integration models are remarkable. Taking the working integration as the abscissa and taking the life integration as the coordinate, an ＂S＂ model of integration matrix appears in the gradually advancing integration of intermediate and high administers from the working to the life which should be paid special attention to.     

Shift-share Analysis on International Tourism Competitiveness - A Case of Jiangsu Province

Shift-share analysis has been confirmed a useful approach in the study of regional economics and many kinds of extended shift-share models have been advanced and put into practice in economic studies, but few have hitherto been introduced and applied to the tourism research in China. Moreover understanding the spatially competitive relationship is of paramount importance for marketers, developers, and planners involved in tourism strategy development. Based on international tourism receipts from 1995 to 2004, this study aims at probing into the spatial competitiveness of interna- tional tourism in Jiangsu Province in comparison with its neighbors by applying a spatially extended shift-share model and a modified dynamic shift-share model. The empirical results illustrate that exceptional years may exist in the ap- plication of dynamic shift-share models. To solve this issue, modifications to dynamic shift-share model are put forward. The analytical results are not only presented but also explained by the comparison of background conditions of tourism development between Jiangsu and its key competitors. The conclusions can be drawn that the growth of international tourism receipts in Jiangsu mainly attributes to the national component and the competitive component and Zhejiang is the most important rival to Jiangsu during the period of 1995-2004. In order to upgrade the tourism competitiveness, it is indispensable for Jiangsu to take proper positioning, promoting and marketing strategies and to cooperate and integrate with its main rivals.     

REGIONAL TOURISM COOPERATION IN TRIANGLE ZONE OF LIAONING PROVINCE

Strengthening the regional tourism cooperation is the requirement of both tourism development and tourist competition drive. On the one hand, resources, products, market and infrastructure in tourism are characteristics of half-public goods, which are the externalities. On the other hand, tourism competition has evolved from individual scenic spot, or finn competition to regional competition, which also requires urgent regional tourism cooperation. In recent years, the regional economic cooperation has been becoming popular in the world. The triangle tourism zone of Liaoning Province, constituted by Shenyang, Dalian and Dandong, is the core region of Liaoning tourism system. This regional tourism cooperation has been raised for a long time, but has not made substantial progress as yet. In recent years, the strategic cooperation among them has been becoming urgent, along with the change of tourism competition models, as well as the desire for building a Northeast Asia tourist economy circle. Based on literature, this paper establishes a conceptual frame of regional tourism cooperation and applies it in the analysis of the strategic tourism cooperation of Liaoning Province＇s golden triangle zone. This paper firstly examines both qualifications and motives concerning with cooperation among the three cities, and believes that the biggest difficulties involve traditional ideas, administrative institutions, communications, economic performances, time constraints, and more overlap among their tourist markets. Then this paper continues to construct a cooperating mechanism, including participant arrangements, construction of operating mechanism and construction of assisting mechanism. At last, this paper proposes approaches to the strategic cooperation such as introducing Xiuyan County, strategic integration and developing differentiated and complemented tourism products.     

Comprehensive evaluation of ski resort development conditions in northern China

China′s bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will promote rapid development of domestic ski tourism. More than 10 provinces in the northern China list ski tourism as a new source of growth in the tourism industry. Formulating a scientific evaluation system is an important foundation for ski resort development. By referring to the conditions of existing international ski resorts, a comprehensive index system for evaluating ski resort development was developed based on natural factors, human factors, athletic sports, and popular ski tourism. The system was composed of one target layer, two indices, seven sub-indices and twenty-five basic indices. Based on data collected during a field investigation in 2012 and on a statistical model, the development conditions of the following ski resorts were quantified: Yabuli Ski Resort in Heilongjiang Province and Beidahu Ski Resort in Jilin Province in Northeast China, Wanlong Ski Resort in Hebei Province and Nanshan Ski Resort in Beijing in the northern China, and Silk Road International Ski Resort in Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in the northwestern China. The resulting index values of development conditions at Beidahu, Yabuli, Wanlong, Nanshan, and Silk Road International Ski Resorts were 0.304, 0.278, 0.270, 0.214, and –0.025, respectively. Various natural and human factors exert positive and negative effects on the development potential of ski resorts. The development conditions of the five ski resorts were inferior to those of first-class international resorts. Therefore, the development conditions of the five ski resorts should be improved with future construction.     

Assessing tourism sustainability in hill towns: Case study of Shimla,India

Hill towns form a popular niche in tourism destinations. They are renowned for their natural beauty and distinctive cultural traditions. Unplanned development can lead to a loss in opportunity to access the potential of these resources or cause their damage. Development decisions need to adopt a sustainable approach that balances tourism growth with the preservation of the natural and cultural assets. The present research details a comprehensive assessment tool to study the sustainability of tourism in hill towns with a focus on Shimla, a popular hill destination in India. The tool specifies seven dimensions of sustainable tourism; 1) Tourism Assets;2) Tourism Activity; 3) Tourism Related Linkages; 4)Tourism Related Leakages; 5) Environmental and Social Sustainability; 6) Infrastructure; and 7)Attractiveness. Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys of local households and arriving tourists. Visual survey is conducted to map built-environment and land-use. Secondary data were gathered from government reports and scholarly articles. A framework of indicators and sub-indicators was developed to analyze the data at two levels – city and ward. While the appraisal of the city provides an overall view of the performance of the tourism industry, at the ward level a comparative analysis was carried out to reveal sector related potentials and issues. The study reveals the imbalanced tourismconcentration in the core of the city as compared to other wards and the gap between tourist potential and infrastructure development. These are addressed through planning recommendations for more balanced development with a focus on eco-tourism.The research helps develop a framework which paves way to sustainable tourism development in Indian hill towns.     

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON RESIDENTS＇ PERCEPTION OF TOURISM IMPACT AT TOURIST PLACES—A Case Study of Xidi, Zhouzhuang and Jiuhua Mountain

Based on the questionnaire investigation, the authors make a comparative study on local residents‘ perception of tourism impacts in Xidi, Zhouzhuang and Jiuhua Mountain. The result shows that residents of the three places tend to have strong and consistent perception of its positive economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts, but distinctly diverse ones of its negative impacts. Residents in Xidi and Zhouzhuang also have noticeable perception of its negative environmental impacts while those in Jiuhua Mountain have weaker perception of them.The research confirms the fact that residents are more liable to have positive perceptions at the early stage of the life cycle of the tourist places. The authors conclude that there exists a nonlinear relationship between residents‘ perception and tourism development stages, and that tourism socio-cultural impact may appear at an early stage of tourism development instead of being no universal.