Charging for Nature: Marine Park Fees and Management from a User Perspective

User fees can contribute to the financial sustainability of marine protected areas (MPAs), yet they must be acceptable to users. We explore changes in the fee system and management of Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) from the perspective of users. Responses from 393 tourists indicated that 90% were satisfied with park conditions and considered current user fees reasonable. However, only 47% of divers and 40% of non-divers were prepared to pay more. Diver willingness-to-pay (WTP) appears to have decreased since 1991, but this difference could be due in part to methodological differences between studies. Although current fees are close to diver maximum stated WTP, revenues could potentially be increased by improving the current fee system in ways that users deem acceptable. This potential surplus highlights the value of understanding user perceptions toward MPA fees and management.     

国外旅游季节性研究综述

旅游季节性是一个旅游研究的常态问题。本文对近年来旅游季节性研究成果进行了综述,有助于深入了解旅游季节性影响因素以及动力机制,尤其指出旅游的季节性对生态环境的影响尤为严重,应格外重视旅游季节性问题,积极发展生态旅游,从而实现旅游地的可持续发展。     

Sustainable tourism management and development of a Greek coastal municipality

A process is presented to facilitate the sustainable management and development of tourist destinations. Based on a specific reforming of the Limits of Acceptable Change planning system and combined with the Tourism Carrying Capacity concept into a common framework, specific steps are described to integrate environmental, social and economic information of a tourist destination into indicators, which are afterwards compared with reference conditions. The Leopold matrix is applied to identify and classify restrictions of development and provide the basis for negotiations between managers, stakeholders and local communities. Through a feedback process of continuous monitoring and adjustment, the aim is to focus developmental activities on restricting factors until all indicators upgrade to reference. A case study at a Greek coastal municipality (Ilida – western Greece) is applied to demonstrate the process. Activity zones are identified and 18 indicators are selected. Results suggest high potential for tourism development of the area. However, low scores are assigned to 8/18 indicators, reflecting restrictions, requiring priority under a sustainable development plan. The proposed process offers managers and stakeholders the ability to easily visualize/identify restrictions and assign developmental priorities within a step-by-step upgrading process, toward the sustainable management and development of tourist destinations.     

长白山旅游景区生态环境状况评价

采用生态环境状况指数(EI)对旅游景区生态环境状况进行评价.结果表明:1960年、2005年和2009年旅游景区EI值均大于75,生态环境为优;与1960年比,2005年和2009年EI值分别减小0.99和1.50,生态环境逐年变差,并呈加剧之势;Ibio、Iveg、Iero和Ienv值均分别减小1.43、0.87、1...     

The challenge of sustainable development in small island developing states: case study on tourism in the Caribbean

Small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean have long specialised in primary commodity exports, and traditional export sectors continue to be a major source of employment. The challenge of sustainable development for the Caribbean SIDS has two dimensions. The first is to adjust to the economic and social impact of the loss of preferential markets for traditional exports and of the dismantling of the ISI apparatus erected during the post-World War II period. The second is to ensure that existing and new patterns of production and consumption comply with the criteria for sustainable development, which is here defined as environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.
This article outlines the potential contribution of sustainable tourism to the larger goal of sustainable development in the SIDS in the Caribbean. It reviews current literature on sustainable development and sustainable tourism, particularly their application to the Caribbean SIDS, and evaluates the Caribbean tourism industry from the point of view of sustainable tourism. Conclusions are drawn and proposals made for a policy-oriented agenda in support of the quest for sustainable tourism in the SIDS in the Caribbean.     

Differences in resistance of three subtropical vegetation types to experimental trampling

Experimental trampling trials using a standardized methodology were undertaken in 10 replicate blocks in three vegetation types in an urban reserve in the subtropics of Australia. In each block different intensities of trampling (controls, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400 and 500 passes) were applied, and vegetation parameters were measured pre-trampling, immediately after trampling and 2 weeks later. A Fern understorey had low resistance to trampling intensity, with reductions in relative vegetation height and cover with as few as 10 passes. A Tussock grass understorey showed moderate resistance with reduction in height at 25 passes and cover at 50 passes. A Disturbed grassland dominated by lawn grasses had the highest resistance, with reductions in vegetation height at 100 passes, but cover was affected by as few as 10 passes. The resistance indices (number of passes required to reduce vegetation cover by 50%) of three vegetation types were 210, 360 and 860 passes, respectively. When these values were compared with those for 52 other vegetation types considerable variation was found within life forms, climatic zones and vegetation types indicating that the response of a specific community may not always be predictable.     

Energy and resource basis of an Italian coastal resort region integrated using emergy synthesis

Sustainable development of coastal zones must balance economic development that encourages human visitation from a larger population with desires that differ from the local residents with the need to maintain opportunities for the local resident society and conserve ecological capital, which may serve as the basis for residents.We present a case study in which the sustainability level of a coastal zone (Riviera del Beigua), located along the Ligurian coast of north-western Italy, was assessed through the lens of systems ecology using emergy synthesis to integrate across economic, social and environmental sub-systems.Our purposes were (1) to quantify the environmental sustainability level of this coastal zone, (2) to evaluate the role of tourism in affecting the economy, society and environment, and (3) to compare emergy synthesis to Butler's Tourism Area Life Cycle model (TALC). Results showed that 81% of the total emergy consumption in the coastal zone was derived from external sources, indicating that this tourist-heavy community was not sustainable. Tourism, as the dominant economic sub-system, consumed 42% of the total emergy budget, while local residents used the remaining 58%. The progressive stages of the TALC model were found to parallel the dynamic changes in the ratio of external emergy inputs to local emergy inputs, suggesting that emergy synthesis could be a useful tool for detecting a tourist region's TALC stage. Use of such a quantitative tool could expedite sustainability assessment to allow administrative managers to understand the complex relationship between a region's economy, environment and resident society so sound policies can be developed to improve overall sustainability.     

An improved user-based beach climate index

In many coastal resort areas of the world, it is likely that optimal climatic conditions for beach use might occur outside the peak of the tourist season. Investigation of this issue together with associated publicity might help to spread the tourism load and hence reduce undesirable social and environmental effects of extreme seasonality in tourist demand. For this to take place, better knowledge of beach user preferences in terms of climate and bathing water temperature is required. Questionnaire surveys were carried out in Wales, Malta and Turkey to establish the preferences of north European beach users for thermal sensation and bathing water temperature, plus priority levels for other climatic attributes. A user-based beach climate index based on these preferences and priorities was formulated. Linkage was made between the user-generated ratings for various climatic conditions and published climate data to evaluate most major Euro-Mediterranean/Black Sea and a range of other beach tourism areas on a month-by-month basis. Results showed excessively hot thermal sensation in many southern and eastern Mediterranean coastal destinations during July and August, the present peak of the beach tourism season. Highest preference was given to water temperatures rather lower than those found in these areas during late summer. Many long haul coastal destinations popular with north European visitors had similar unpleasant thermal sensations over several months. Uncertainties and deficiencies still exist with the system, but from the point of view of north European beach users the final scores generated in this study may be regarded as good approximations of the quality of resort area climates for sedentary beach use.     

旅游专项规划环境影响评价探讨

旅游专项规划环境影响评价是我国新颁布的环境影响评价法所规定的一种新的环境影响评价形式。应以生态旅游理论为指导，突出反映规划环境影响评价的特点，引入区域环境影响评价的方法学开展旅游专项规划环境影响评价工作。文中对旅游专项规划环境影响评价的要点及指标体系进行了系统探讨。     

《旅游资源分类、调查与评价》国家标准的更新审视与研究展望

旅游资源作为区域旅游发展独特的存在,是吸引旅游者进行旅游活动的关键要素,也是影响区域旅游经济发展的重要条件。总结国内旅游资源学术研究的发展趋势和研究主题,将其划分为萌芽起步期、发展成熟期和停滞衰退期三个研究阶段,研究主题则主要包括旅游资源概念界定、调查实践、评价与开发等;对2017年更新的《旅游资源分类、调查与评价》国家标准进行系统解读,重点分析其内容的全新变化并且深入剖析尚且存在的问题;对接学术研究与实践应用,重点从旅游资源概念、分类、调查和评价四个方面说明二者的互动关系和延伸讨论,明晰旅游资源研究与应用的重点内容和发展方向,以有益于理论与实践的相互影响和促进。