Abstract
Severe air pollution in China has caused significant tourism transformation for pursuing fresh air in microclimate tourism markets. Contemporary practices simply measure the air freshness of destinations and scenic spots using a single index, i.e., primarily negative oxygen ions (O2−). This index cannot comprehensively reveal scenic spots’ air freshness degree and determine the dynamic interactions between air freshness and scenic spots’ tourism development, thus inducing an illusion of air freshness for the target scenic spots. Meanwhile, the current fresh air index primarily ignores connections with the microclimate index of scenic spots and cannot provide a multidimensional index for scenic spots to take advantage of both air and microclimate resources for diverse tourism products and service production. Therefore, this study proposes a multidimensional index, the fresh air–natural microclimate comfort index (FAI-NMCI), connecting the fresh air index with the natural microclimate comfort index of scenic spots together from transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives. This study utilizes FAI-NMCI to measure four scenic spots of Fujian Province, and reveals in-depth results of scenic spots’ air freshness and natural microclimate comfort degree together. The results demonstrate that the four scenic spots in Fujian province of China had different levels of air freshness degree and natural microclimate comfort degree in 2018. The natural scenic spots were mostly distributed in Healing Fresh, Very Fresh, and Super Fresh levels of FAI with the most comfortable and comfortable levels of NMCI. The cultural scenic spots were mostly distributed in Relatively Fresh and Healing Fresh levels of FAI with the most comfortable and comfortable levels of NMCI. Meanwhile, the FAI-NMCI of natural and cultural scenic spots also had significant differences within 24 Jieqi, which will promote dynamic and creative utilization of those resources in microclimate tourism development.
Highlights
Air pollution influences tourists’ and residents’ health, which will directly or indirectly affect demand in the tourism market [1]
Comparing fresh air index (FAI)-natural microclimate comfort index (NMCI) in natural scenic spots of Fujian province, the Wuyi Mountain scenic spot had more days of upper-level air freshness and natural microclimate comfort degree than Baishuiyang scenic spot, which was mainly distributed within the middle fresh-comfort range
Discussion and Conclusions scenic spot had more days of upper-level air freshness and natural microclimate comfort degree than Baishuiyang scenic spot, which was mainly distributed within the middle fresh-comfort range
Summary
Air pollution influences tourists’ and residents’ (potential tourists’) health, which will directly or indirectly affect demand in the tourism market [1]. Air freshness and microclimate comfort degree together as vital environmental information have significantly influenced tourists, destination and scenic spot management, as well as tourism market development, which has seldom been explored by contemporary research and practice. Based on the comparative advantages of embracing relatively fresher air, this paper takes four scenic spots of Fujian Province, China, as an example and analyzes the natural and cultural scenic spots’ fresh air–natural microclimate comfort degree to promote the sustainable utilization and development of fresh air and natural microclimate comfort resources in the microclimate tourism market
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