Vulnerability Assessment of Tourism Environment in the South China Sea Islands : Construction of Evaluation Model Based on Interpretation System of Formation Mechanism

Tourism vulnerability research is an important theoretical basis for sustainable research of tourism.In this study,it hopes to establish a comprehensive evaluation index system for vulnerability of tourism environment in the South China Sea Islands,to achieve the sound development of island tourism in the South China Sea.Therefore,based on the study of the geographical environment and geographical background of the South China Sea Islands,the mechanism analysis method is used to form three interpretation systems.First,interpretation system of meridional causality mechanism.4 evaluation levels and 52 indicators are screened out,and the mathematical and physical criteria for each indicator is established.Second,interpretation system of latitudinal factor relationship mechanism.The AHP is used to obtain the weights of each index,and the contribution rate of factor at each level to the vulnerability is determined.Third,sharing platform of connecting meridional and latitudinal interpretation system.Likert 5-level scale is used to make the factors belong to different orders of magnitude,and factors from different systems could be comparable.Finally,through the formulation of mathematical and chemical standards of indexes and weights of evaluation indexes,a comprehensive evaluation model for vulnerability of tourism environment in the South China Sea Islands is established.

The Effects of Tourism Industry Agglomeration on Tourism Environmental Carrying Capacity: Evidence from a Panel Threshold Model

By utilizing the panel data of 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration of China from 2000 to 2018, this study constructs a panel threshold model to examine the nonlinear relationship between Tourism Environmental Carrying Capacity(TECC) and Tourism Industry Agglomeration(TIA). TECC is evaluated based on the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response(DPSIR) model, and TIA is estimated by the location quotient index.The analysis reveals that TIA and TECC both show growth trends and significant regional differences among the 26cities, but the latter fluctuates at certain stages. Moreover, TIA has a significant double threshold effect on TECC,which shows that the positive impact of TIA is enhanced initially but then weakens afterwards. Theoretically, this study contributes to enriching the current literature on TECC from the perspective of TIA. Practically, it could help local governments effectively arrange agglomerations to promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry in China.

A Case Study of an in Situ Botanical Garden in Zagori, Greece

Between 1998 and 2002, a project for the protection of the natural environment was applied, in the framework of the EU Initiative ＂L.I.F.E.＂, in Zagori, a mountainous region in Northwestern Greece with rich natural and human environment. One of the actions that took place as part of the above project was the creation of an in situ botanical garden in order to raise public awareness of the environment and the flora of the region. During the operation of the garden, the visitors answered questions related to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction of their visit. They also made suggestions for the improving of the garden. According to the number of the visitors and the analysis of the questionnaires, the operation of the garden was satisfactory. The in situ botanical garden proved useful not only for environmental awareness and education, but also for local economy. Two years since its creation, the garden eventually stopped operating. The main reason was lucky of funding. Based on the experience gained, it is suggested that the garden should be re-created under a new approach. Regions, such as Zagori, whose economy is based on environmental tourism, would benefit greatly from such structures. Moreover, in situ botanical gardens can play an important role in the protection of Greece＇s rich flora.

Measurements of the Cognitive Level of Ecotourists for the Tourism Environment in the Mountain Resorts

Tourists are the main body of tourism activities,and studying the environmental cognition of tourists is beneficial for the environmental management of scenic spots.In this article,data obtained by questionnaire were used to compose a data matrix of 169×10 dimensions,and the cognitive level of ecotourists for the tourism environment was measured by two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN)and detrended correspondence analysis(DCA)in Luya Mountain Nature Reserve.This analysis revealed three main points.(1)TWINSPAN divided all the samples into the strict environment protection type,the ordinary environment protection type,the occasional environment protection type,and the natural enjoyment type.Both the strict and ordinary environment protection types agreed with biocentrism and had a consciousness regarding the protection of nature,but the former advocated that tourism activities should be restricted in nature reserves,while the latter did not agree with restrictions on tourism activities.The occasional environment protection types denied biocentrism;on the one hand,they thought that nature should serve human beings,but on the other hand,they showed a tendency toward environmental protection.The natural enjoyment type argued that natural resources should be maximized to meet human needs.(2)There were significant correlations between the first axis of the DCA and gender,age,education,number of trips,and cognition of nature reserve function,and the second axis of DCA was significantly correlated with gender,age,and education level.Under the impact of all the factors in the DCA figure,ecotourist types transitioned gradually from the first type to the second,the third,and the fourth types along the diagonal line,and accordingly,their cognitive level for the tourism environment was reduced slowly.(3)For nature reserves,the strict environment protection type had 74 people,who was the most popular.The ordinary and occasional environment protection types had 43 people and 31 people,respectively,who should be strived to raise environmental awareness.The natural enjoyment type had 21 people,who must be systematically educated.

The Moderating Effect of the Ski Resort Environment on the Skier’s Travel Radius under the Restriction of Skill Consumption

Starting from the skill characteristics of ski tourism,this paper discusses the impact of consumer skill on travel decisions,and the moderating effect of the ski resort’s comprehensive leisure environment(including the ski resort sports environment and the regional cultural tourism environment),in order to both understand their impacts on the travel distance characteristics of skiers and attempt to provide necessary research support for the development of China’s ski industry and the construction of destinations.Based on the data from multi-period visitor surveys,this paper constructs the consumption skill-travel radius decision-making influence model under the moderating effect of the ski resort comprehensive leisure environment.The results show three main characteristics.(1)The travel radius obviously differs among skiers with different skill levels.The skill level of skiers has a significant positive effect on the larger travel radius,and a significant negative effect on the smaller travel radius.That is,skiers with a higher skill level are more inclined to undertake long-distance skiing travel,while skiers with a lower skill level are more inclined to undertake short-distance skiing travel.(2)The comprehensive leisure environment has a significant moderating effect on the skiers’travel radius,with a significant positive impact on enlarging the travel radius,while the influences on high-skill and low-skill skiers are significantly higher than on middle-skill skiers.(3)In the comprehensive leisure environment,there are differences in the moderating effect of the ski resort sports environment and the regional cultural tourism environment on the skiers travel radius,and the positive moderating effect of the ski resort sports environment on the high-skill skiers’travel radius is more obvious.While the regional cultural tourism environment has a more obvious positive moderating effect on the travel radius of non-skiers and junior skiers,it is more conducive to promoting domestic travel.In general,the skier skill level in China was generally lower,and the ski resort comprehensive leisure environment optimization is conducive to overcoming the limitation of the travel radius caused by the disadvantageous skill level of consumers.However,to promote the development of China’s ski industry in the long run,it is necessary to focus on improving the consumer’s ski skill level,but prevent the risk of losing high-skill consumers overseas.In the course of improving the level of domestic ski sports facilities,we should also focus on the domestic leisure cultural tourism environment to better enhance the attractiveness of domestic ski destinations.