Abstract
Surrounded by the ocean, Taiwan has been increasingly developing coastal tourism projects. Concerns that negative impacts might be brought about by prosperous tourism have resulted in a recent focus on sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism involves policies that acknowledge the interdependences among the environment, the community, and the economy. The goal of sustainable tourism is to enhance and protect the environment while satisfying basic human requirements, as well as those of the contemporary and future tourism industries to improve quality of life. On the other hand, unsustainable coastal tourism might undermine the natural environment and society, resulting in air, water, and soil pollution, wildlife habitat disruption, and changes of local community cultural characteristics. Therefore, performance evaluation of coastal tourism, using an indicator framework to facilitate sustainable development and enhance the effectiveness of coastal resources exploitation, is critical. Through a literature review and expert surveys using the methods of the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), this study builds a performance indicator framework and identifies the key factors affecting the sustainable development of coastal tourism in Taiwan. The results can serve as a reference for the public sector to be used for the sustainable planning and development of coastal tourism.
Highlights
The tourism industry in Taiwan is growing at a fast pace
The results indicate that an appropriate planning for local recreational activities associated with coastal tourism may increase local resident employment chances
More visitors have been attracted to the coastal areas in Taiwan for tourism activities
Summary
The tourism industry in Taiwan is growing at a fast pace. The Taiwanese government continuously encourages the development of the tourism sector to boost economic revenues. It is of utmost importance to develop tools that seek the implementation of careful tourism planning. Sustainable tourism planning for coastal areas aims at monitoring changes in the coastal zone and adjusting strategies so that a balance can be found between economic, environmental, and societal aspects. There is no recipe for reaching this balance but rather a conceptual framework from which planning procedures and appropriate management methods can be derived to sustainably develop. Sustainability 2016, 8, 652 the coastal area, preserve natural resources and culture, while incorporating tourism activities and facwilihtiecshtphlaatnsnaitnisgfyprtocuerdisutrse’sexapnedriaepnpcreosp[r2i]a.te management methods can be derived to sustainably deTvaeilwopant,hwe hciocahsteanl caormeap,apssresearvgeronuaptuorfalislraensodusr,ciesssiatundatecdulbtuetrwe,ewenhilloenginitcuodrpeosr1a2ti0ngantodur1i2s2m E andacbtievtiwtiesenanldatfiatucidlietise2s2thaatnsdat2is5fy Nto.uTrihstes’meaxipneriiselnanceds i[s2]s.urrounded by the Pacific Ocean to its east and theTTaaiiwwaann, wSthraiciht teonictosmwpeasst.seBseainggro3u77p komf islloanngdsa,loisnsgittuhaetendobrtehtw–seoeunthlodnigrietcutdioens 1a2n0d° 1a4n2dk1m22°wEide aloanngdtbheetweaesetn–wlaetisttuddierse2ct2i°oann, dth2e5°mNai.nThiselamnadinhaisslaanpdpirsosxuimrroautenldye1d20b0y kthme PoafcciofiacsOtlcineaen. The results are expected to serve as a reference for public sectors and stakeholders
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
