The impact of water quality on the visual and olfactory satisfaction of tourists

Abstract

Water quality at fishing ports used for tourism is important because it could affect tourists' visual and olfactory perceptions and their overall satisfaction with the water body. We conducted research at Taiwan's Hsinchu Fishing Port, where we disseminated questionnaires to survey tourists' visual and olfactory satisfaction levels with the water body and measured 14 water quality parameters. We found that dissolved oxygen (DO), clarity, and total phosphorous (TP) were associated with visual satisfaction, while DO, NH3–N, and TP were associated with olfactory satisfaction. We created suitability curves to understand variations in visual and olfactory satisfaction with various measures of water quality. The water quality parameters that influenced visual and olfactory satisfaction (i.e., DO, clarity, NH3–N, and TP) were integrated into an overall satisfaction index that was further classified into levels from A to D. Level A corresponded to the highest level of water quality satisfaction, while level D corresponded to the lowest. This grading standard is similar to the water pollution assessment index used by Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration. Our results could be used to assess tourists' overall levels of satisfaction with these four water quality parameters and as a basis for water pollution control in fishing ports developed for tourism.