Establishment and Application of an Evaluation Model for Orchid Island Sustainable Tourism Development.

Han-Shen Chen

doi:10.3390/ijerph16050755

Abstract

Global warming and climate change increase the likelihood of weather-related natural disasters that threaten ecosystems and consequently affect the tourism industry which thrives on the natural attributes of island regions. Orchid Island, the study area, is home to the Yami (Tao) tribe—the only indigenous people of Taiwan with a marine culture. The island possesses rich geological and topographical features (such as coral reefs) and distinctive biological and ecological resources (such as the green sea turtle, flying fish, and Orchid Island scops owl), and organizes traditional festivals and activities (such as the flying fish festival) as well as tribal tourism activities. These factors contribute to its immense potential to become the new tourism hotspot. To study the factors enhancing tourist experiences, a random utility model was constructed using a choice experiment method (CEM) for the tourist resort on Orchid Island. The study results demonstrated that: (1) Limiting tourists to 600/day; employing professional tour guides; providing better recreational facilities; introducing additional experience-enhancing activities; and lowering contributions towards the professional ecosystem conservation trust fund will improve the overall effectiveness of attracting tourists to Orchid Island. The evaluation results from both conditional logit and random parameter logit models were similar; (2) the analysis results from the latent class model demonstrated that island tourism has significant market segmentation. The socioeconomic backgrounds of tourists, their experiences, and their preferences exhibit heterogeneity, with significant differences in willingness to pay for island tourism.

Highlights

According to the “Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC),” global warming and climate change have become increasingly serious
Further discussions with experts resulted in a recommendation of limiting numbers to no more than 600 tourists per day as a principle; Professional tour guides should be provided to offer guided tours; Recreational facilities with minimal environmental impact should be planned; Activities that enhance the experience of local characteristics/culture, such as “ecotourism,”
The development of sustainable island tourism requires the integration of recreation, environment, and management information, which is further considered in the decision-making process for the development and management of sustainable tourism operations

Summary

Introduction

According to the “Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC),” global warming and climate change have become increasingly serious. The direct effects of climate change on the tourism industry include losses to manpower and property. This leads to a significant decrease in tourism as more and more tourists decide not to travel to such sites. Climate change will indirectly affect the environment and culture of the tourist destination, the economic output of the tourism industry, and the damage infrastructure [3]. In order to understand the choices of tourists regarding multiple attribute preference programs and their In levels produced possible factor combinations (3 × 288). Order to understand the choices of tourists regarding multiple attribute preference programs. A more precise improvement plan and plan themultiple preference for each attribute the site, aa more precise improvement plan and the for each attribute for operations, theIsland

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion