Abstract
The current state of tourism development in a water conservation area of Taiwan was investigated from the perspective of different stakeholders. An analytical framework was constructed using grounded theory, whereas data collection was performed through field observations, questionnaire surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The 1290 questionnaire responses were analyzed via statistical methods and multi-perspective analysis. Stakeholder responses varied owing to differences in their interests, needs, and perception of the overall state of development. In the absence of clear policies and plans for each village around the water conservation area, the opinions of the stakeholders will diverge regarding labor and technical expertise, product features, village cohesion, the release of flora and fauna into the wild, tourism image, ecological damage, village transportation, and service quality.
Highlights
Sun Moon Lake is located in the foothills of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range
The perceptions of different stakeholders regarding tourism development in the Sun Moon Lake region are discussed in order to propose suggestions for improvements in a manner that meets the expectations of residents and tourists
The primary objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of residents and tourists about the current tourism developments in the Sun Moon Lake area and the impacts of these developments
Summary
Sun Moon Lake is located in the foothills of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range. The history of the lake extends over hundreds of years, as mentions of the lake have been found in writings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the process of this development, the competition for natural resources around the lake (at varying levels and degrees) to fulfill human needs has produced both positive and negative impacts on the local economy, society, and environment [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. This has led to a large decrease in Sustainability 2018, 10, 2328; doi:10.3390/su10072328 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability.
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