How Do Investment Structure and Business Category Affect the Ecological Efficiency of Forest Parks?—A Case Study from Liaoning Province, China
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIt has been interesting to read the article with the title How does Investment Structure Affect Ecological Efficiency of Forest Parks? Analysis of Mediating Effect of Business Category and see how continuous scientific effort is put into investigating the ecological efficiency of Chinese forest parks, in line with other several other recent studies (Huang et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2022). The present interest for forest parks, along with urban forests can significantly benefit from such interesting studies.
However, some contents must be seriously improved.
Firstly, Independent variable and hypothesis formulation: I am not convinced that considering the investment structure (the ratio between private capital and all capital investment) is the wright way to plan the analysis from the relevance point of view. And the reasons are:
1. there are findings indicating low ecological efficiency for investments in high energy consumption entertainment (lines 85-87). Even the authors are stating (line 82) that investment in tourism pays a heterogenous role in ecological efficiency, some investments being oriented towards forest restoration and expansion or managing the tourism flows (more to eco-tourism), others being oriented mainly to entertainment (classical tourism). It can be investigated, taking into consideration all the inputs and outputs, if the investments in the first category are more ecologically efficient when compared with those in the second category. However, I really doubt the novelty of finding that high high energy consuming investments (lines 82-95) have a lower ecological efficiency.
2. If, in the case of the research, private investments concentrate on high energy consuming and high emissions investments, this is not necessarily valid in all the situations. There are situations where private investments are mor eco-touristic.
So, these being said, I think the study should consider using, as independent variable, the ration between eco-tourist investment and overall investment (or classical non-ecotourist investment and overall investments) instead of the ratio between private and overall investments.
Another comment refers to the data acquisition. It is still quite unclear what data were collected through fields investigation and what data were taken from statistical reports.
Although I am not a native English speaker, I have identified some issues that can affect the understanding of the paper content. Even the title creates some confusions: is about investment structure or about business category? Or both? Therefore, I strongly recommend using professional help for smoothing the text (especially in the section 1 Introduction) and finding a better language.
See examples in lines: 31-32 (respectively…), 91 (In Generally….),
I hope these comments and suggestions will be useful for the authors, while I sincerely consider that the research has valuable potential and deserve publication. Better research orientation (or better explaining the scope) can really improve an initial impression that the research is done just for the sake of research.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
Although I am not a native English speaker, I have identified some issues that can affect the understanding of the paper content. Even the title creates some confusions: is about investment structure or about business category? Or both? Therefore, I strongly recommend using professional help for smoothing the text (especially in the section 1 Introduction) and finding a better language.
See examples in lines: 31-32 (respectively…), 91 (In Generally….),
Author Response
It has been interesting to read the article with the title How does Investment Structure Affect Ecological Efficiency of Forest Parks? Analysis of Mediating Effect of Business Category and see how continuous scientific effort is put into investigating the ecological efficiency of Chinese forest parks, in line with other several other recent studies (Huang et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2022). The present interest for forest parks, along with urban forests can significantly benefit from such interesting studies.
Reply: We have read your suggested paper which is very helpful. We have made modifications and additions to the Research hypothesis(124line) and Conclusions and Implications（567line）
However, some contents must be seriously improved
Firstly, Independent variable and hypothesis formulation: I am not convinced that considering the investment structure (the ratio between private capital and all capital investment) is the wright way to plan the analysis from the relevance point of view. And the reasons are:
- There are findings indicating low ecological efficiency for investments in high energy consumption entertainment (lines 85-87). Even the authors are stating (line 82) that investment in tourism pays a heterogeneous role in ecological efficiency, some investments being oriented towards forest restoration and expansion or managing the tourism flows (more to eco-tourism), others being oriented mainly to entertainment (classical tourism). It can be investigated, taking into consideration all the inputs and outputs, if the investments in the first category are more ecologically efficient when compared with those in the second category. However, I really doubt the novelty of finding that high energy consuming investments (lines 82-95) have a lower ecological efficiency.
- If, in the case of the research, private investments concentrate on high energy consuming and high emissions investments, this is not necessarily valid in all the situations. There are situations where private investments are more eco-touristic.
So, these being said, I think the study should consider using, as independent variable, the ration between eco-tourist investment and overall investment (or classical non-eco tourist investment and overall investments) instead of the ratio between private and overall investments.
Reply: Thank you very much for your suggestion, which points out the direction for the revision of our manuscript. The following is an explanation of how we constructed our research framework.
In China, forest tourism, rural tourism, and wetland tourism all fall under the umbrella of ecotourism. Both private and public capital play a role in ecotourism within forest parks. Our findings indicate that, despite being a form of ecotourism, forest parks often do not exhibit eco-efficiency. There is a significant variation in eco-efficiency among the forest parks, with an average value of 0.52. The forest park with the lowest eco-efficiency has a potential for improvement of 0.72 percent relative to the optimal one. One of the key factors contributing to this efficiency disparity is the adoption of different business strategies by the forest parks, which are closely linked to their capital structures.
We discovered that China's forest parks encounter at least two challenges. Firstly, tourists often show a stronger preference for modern forms of tourism, such as luxury hotels and amusement parks, over local experiences and a return to nature. When the market attractiveness of ecotourism products is insufficient, forest parks tend to develop modern tourism products to generate profits. Secondly, the lack of experience among forest park managers makes it challenging to create ecotourism products that can sustainably yield profits. As a result, forest parks often replicate the operations of recreational facilities and hotels found in urban areas. For example, KUANDIAN Forest Park self-financed 900 thousand use invested in the construction of a children's playground, ice skating rink, Water Park and other tourism projects (397-398); Xijiao Forest Park invested 30 million yuan in the development of a hot spring guesthouse (352-353).
Wolfram et al. (2006) and Hamin et al. (2001) found that effective management of forest parks in developing countries can be achieved by decentralizing the use and management of investment funds to relevant interest groups. However, our results indicate that forest parks with a high proportion of private capital tend to exhibit lower eco-efficiency. Private capital needs to maximize profits as much as possible in the contract period, in order to meet the market demand for more development-oriented investment. The different profit-seeking nature of the investment main body leads to differences in the destination of capital investment, so the investment structure is the direct cause of the differences in ecological efficiency of forest parks, and the operation category plays a mediating effect.
In addition, in the Statistical Tables of Forest Park Operations in Liaoning Province, they provide information on public investment, private investment, ticket income, accommodation income, and amusement income, other income, and ecological investment (such as tree planting and forest phase renovation). However, the categorization of forest park operations includes both ecotourism products and non-ecotourism products, and private capital also invests in ecotourism products. Unfortunately, they do not provide statistics differentiating between ecotourism and traditional tourism investments.
Another comment refers to the data acquisition. It is still quite unclear what data were collected through fields investigation and what data were taken from statistical reports.
Reply: Thank you very much is very helpful. We have made the following changes in accordance with your suggestions.（276-283）Regarding the variables, data such as capital stock, labor force, tourism income, investment sources, operational revenue, and hiking trail statistics was obtained from “Statistics on Forest Parks in Liaoning. “Information on energy types, energy consumption, and scenic area levels was collected through on-site investigations of the forest parks. Metrics related to the forest park's region, including per capita GRDP, population size, and scenic area density, were sourced from "Liaoning Statistical Yearbook" and "Statistical Yearbooks of Various Cities." The distance between the forest park and the city center was determined using Baidu Maps.
Although I am not a native English speaker, I have identified some issues that can affect the understanding of the paper content. Even the title creates some confusions: is about investment structure or about business category? Or both? Therefore, I strongly recommend using professional help for smoothing the text (especially in the section 1 Introduction) and finding a better language. See examples in lines: 31-32 (respectively…), 91 (In Generally….)
Reply: Thank you for your valuable advice! We rechecked for grammar and spelling errors, and sought professional proofreading. Thanks again. According to your suggestion, we changed the title to “How do Investment Structure and Business Category Affect Ecological Efficiency of Forest Parks?" ，make it easy for the reader to understand.
I hope these comments and suggestions will be useful for the authors, while I sincerely consider that the research has valuable potential and deserve publication. Better research orientation (or better explaining the scope) can really improve an initial impression that the research is done just for the sake of research.
Reply: We gratefully thanks for the precious time the reviewer spent making constructive remarks. We hereby resubmit the revised manuscript and hope that all corrections are satisfactory. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe paper, titled "How does Investment Structure Affect Ecological Efficiency of Forest Parks? ——Analysis of Mediating Effect of Business Category," explores the ecological efficiency of forest parks and its relationship with investment structure and business categories. The study focuses on 28 national forest parks in Liaoning from 2008 to 2017, employing a stochastic cost function to measure ecological efficiency. The findings include:
1. The potential for improving ecological efficiency in Liaoning's forest parks was 48%.
2. A substantial gap in ecological efficiency existed among forest parks, though it decreased over time.
3. Investment structure significantly impacted ecological efficiency, with increased private capital decreasing efficiency by over 10.6%.
4. Business categories played a mediating role, and investment structures negatively affected ecological efficiency by increasing the proportion of accommodation and amusement.
5. There were variations in how investment structures affected ecological efficiency, with high-class forest parks influenced by accommodation and low-class parks by amusements.
My comments:
1) Could you provide more information on the specific data sources and methodology used for measuring ecological efficiency in the study?
2) How did you calculate the 48% potential for improving ecological efficiency, and what factors contribute to this potential improvement?
3) What were the major differences among forest parks that led to the observed gap in ecological efficiency, and how have these differences changed over time?
4) Please elaborate on the mechanisms through which investment structure impacts ecological efficiency and the significance of the 10.6% marginal contribution ratio.
5) Can you provide more detailed insights into the mediating role of business categories between investment structure and ecological efficiency?
6) What were the main findings related to the heterogeneity in how investment structures affect ecological efficiency, particularly in high-class and low-class forest parks?
7) Were there any variations in ecological efficiency based on different types of ecological indicators used in the study?
8)How does the introduction of new energy-efficient technologies and practices contribute to enhancing ecological efficiency?
9) Could you discuss the role of public-private partnerships (PPP) in improving ecological efficiency, as well as potential challenges?
10) How can policymakers effectively guide private capital to develop low-energy tourism projects while maintaining profitability?
11) What are the key features of "creative hotels" that are environmentally friendly and how do they differ from traditional hotels?
12) What strategies can be employed to increase the proportion of low-energy amusement tourism projects in forest parks?
13) Are there any specific examples of policy initiatives that have successfully promoted sustainability in forest park management?
14) Could you provide more information on the unique characteristics of forest parks in Liaoning and how these characteristics influence the study's results?
15) How do the findings of this study apply to other regions or countries, particularly those facing similar ecological and tourism development challenges?
Author Response
Reply: Thank you very much for your efforts on our manuscript. We have fully followed your suggestions and made revisions, and the level of this paper has been greatly improved.
1) Could you provide more information on the specific data sources and methodology used for measuring ecological efficiency in the study?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. Based on your valuable suggestions, the following changes have been made：
Methodology
（lines 164-169）：Forest parks, with their unique resources, diversify the tourism products to generate revenue, but concurrently cause environment pollution through emissions. This divergence in eco-efficiency is quantifiable through the ratio between the minimum and actual emissions along environmental frontiers. Pollutants as bad outputs should be minimized as much as possible, so the relationship between minimum and actual emissions cannot be obtained directly in the form of a production function.
（lines 179-180）：where, is the minimum emission value; is the operating income of the forest park is the set of inputs, which includes labor, capital inputs, parkland and energy.
Data collection
Regarding the variables, data such as capital stock, labor force, tourism income, investment sources, operational revenue, and hiking trail statistics was obtained from “Statistics on Forest Parks in Liaoning. “Information on energy types, energy consumption, and scenic area levels was collected through on-site investigations of the forest parks. Metrics related to the forest park's region, including per capita GRDP, population size, and scenic area density, were sourced from "Liaoning Statistical Yearbook" and "Statistical Yearbooks of Various Cities." The distance between the forest park and the city center was determined using Baidu Maps..
2)How did you calculate the 48% potential for improving ecological efficiency, and what factors contribute to this potential improvement?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. We reviewed the article, found that its expression was not clear enough, so we revised it and added some content.
How did you calculate the 48% potential for improving ecological efficiency: (lines 412-413) The mean value of the eco-efficiency of forest parks in Liaoning Province during the study period is 0.52, which means that the potential for improving the eco-efficiency of forest parks is 48 %, …
What factors contribute to this potential improvement?
Reply：Thank you for your question and below is further explanation.
1 We found in the literature (lines 54-56): regional economic level, the level of tourism development, technical level of energy, investment level and environmental regulation on eco-efficiency (Liu et al., 2017; Castilho 2021)，contributes to the improvement of eco-efficiency.
2 The results of our study found (lines 420-425): Our findings indicate that a higher proportion of clean energy, higher per capita GDP, and industrial agglomeration contribute to enhancing the ecological efficiency of forest parks. Regions with higher economic development levels and concentrations of the tourism industry can provide a better business environment for forest parks, attracting more visitors and enabling the adoption of more advanced management techniques (Huang et al., 2018). A high share of clean energy means that fewer pollutants are emitted during creating the same economic value.
3 Furthermore, forest parks with a significant share of government investment exhibit higher eco-efficiency. This is attributed to the greater allocation of government funds toward enhancing the ecological environment of forest parks or the development of tourism support facilities. This doesn’t mean that we recommend that forest parks rely more on government funding, but rather that we recommend guiding private capital to focus more on developing tourism products in ecotourism, forest recreation, and forest education.
3)What were the major differences among forest parks that led to the observed gap in ecological efficiency, and how have these differences changed over time?
Reply：Thank you for your question, below is my detailed explanation. Table 4 shows that the share of private investment and the coefficients of business categories are notably significant, constituting the primary distinction between forest parks and explaining the observed eco-efficiency gap. In contrast, factors like energy structure, scenic class, GDP per capita, scenic density, transportation, and urban population coefficients have relatively minor effects on forest park eco-efficiency. We have made modifications to our discussion (lines 420-456) to provide further elaboration on these findings.
Our findings indicate that a higher proportion of clean energy, higher per capita GDP, and industrial agglomeration contribute to enhancing the ecological efficiency of forest parks. Regions with higher economic development levels and concentrations of the tourism industry can provide a better business environment for forest parks, attracting more visitors and enabling the adoption of more advanced management techniques (Huang et al., 2018). A high share of clean energy means that fewer pollutants are emitted during creating the same economic value. Conversely, higher park grades, larger local populations, and greater distances from transportation hubs tend to lower the ecological efficiency of forest parks. These results suggest that forest parks often attract visitors through energy-intensive operational activities, especially those located at a considerable distance, which typically offer accommodation services. The hotel industry has been confirmed as a low ecological efficiency sector in tourism (Liu et al., 2017; Peng et al., 2017; Castilho, 2021; Li et al., 2022), corroborating our research findings.
In addition to these factors, the investment structure and operational categories of the forest park are worthy of scholarly exploration as influential factors on ecological efficiency. Although the 28 national forest parks in Liaoning Province are of the same class and are under the control of the same government department, there were obvious differences in their investment structure and business category. For example, from 2008 to 2017, the average private investment took up 100% in Shenyang forest parks, with skiing as the main operating project, and private investment took up 92.4% in Dalian Xijiao Forest Park, with hot springs and hotels as the main operating projects, while National investment accounted for 20% in Benxi Forest Park with natural landscapes as the main operating project. Business category not only affects the energy structure of forest parks, but also is an important reason for deciding whether to carry out the perennial operations. In northern China where coal is a major heating source and air pollution, forest parks that run perennially consume more coal than those that run seasonally, all of which can lead to differences in the ecological efficiency of forest parks.
We also found that over time, the ecological efficiency gap of forest parks gradually decreases, which is consistent with Su & Ji (2020). Firstly, the Chinese government has been intensifying efforts in environmental governance. In 2009, the government issued the "Opinions of the State Council on Accelerating the Development of the Tourism Industry," aiming to reduce electricity consumption by 20% in five years for star-rated hotels and A-grade scenic areas. In 2013, the State Council introduced the "Notice on Issuing the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control," targeting a more than 10% reduction in the concentration of inhalable particulate matter in national cities at or above the prefectural level by 2017 compared to 2012. In response to increasingly stringent environmental regulations, forest parks have implemented proactive measures, such as transitioning from coal to electric heating, as observed in Anshan National Forest Park. Secondly, technology exhibits a spillover effect, enabling mutual emulation and learning among park managers in terms of management experience and energy technologies. This has led to a gradual improvement in the overall utilization of forest park resources, narrowing the gap in ecological efficiency.
4) Please elaborate on the mechanisms through which investment structure impacts ecological efficiency and the significance of the 10.6% marginal contribution ratio.
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. We made changes in the results and discussion as follows:
1 Please elaborate on the mechanisms through which investment structure impacts ecological efficiency：
We mentioned in our research hypothesis（lines 129-139）: Consequently, the investment structure of China's forest parks is dominated by private capital and supplemented by public capital, which is composed of three investment subjects: government financial investment, self-financing capital, and external investment. Due to differences in the profitability of investment entities, the business categories are different (WTTC, 2015). The focus of government investment is on social welfare and ecological protection, which is relatively less profit-seeking and mainly makes protective investments to restore and planting forests. While private investment is more directed at the pursuit of economic benefits, mainly focusing on development investment such as the investment in accommodation, amusement, transportation, and other reception projects. Due to the different purposes of investment entities, there are remarkable differences in investment destinations. As a result, the share between the private and government capital in the investment structure inevitably affects the ecological efficiency.
We made changes and additions during the discussion（lines 470-483）The results, consistent with Mascia et al. (2014), and Paramati et al. (2018), demonstrate that the higher the proportion of private capital in the investment structure, the lower the ecological efficiency of forest parks, and vice versa. This can be explained by the fact that a significant portion of national capital is used for the ecological construction of forest parks, such as afforestation and forest transformation, as well as the construction of parking lots, signage systems, and restroom renovations for tourism-related facilities. However, these activities do not significantly contribute to increased tourism revenue or visitor numbers. For developing countries with low levels of urbanization, consumers prefer energy-intensive tourism products such as luxury hotels, spa resorts and amusement parks to rustic and back-to-nature ones (Zhao et al.,2022). Private capital aims to maximize profits as much as possible during the contract period, and in order to meet the market demand mostly focuses on developmental investment. Both energy-consuming amusement programs and accommodation programs will aggravate the conflict between tourism development and ecology (Gössling,2002ï¼›Li et al.,2022).
The significance of the 10.6% marginal contribution ratio：We add in lines 306-308：the proportion of private capital showed a negative relationship with the ecological efficiency of forest parks (β= -0.106, p < 0.01) in model 1, a 1 % increase in the share of private capital in the investment structure is associated with a 10.6 % decrease in the eco-efficiency of forest parks, which confirms the existence of the total effect of investment structure on the ecological efficiency of forest parks.
5)Can you provide more detailed insights into the mediating role of business categories between investment structure and ecological efficiency?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. We have substantially revised and expanded our research hypotheses and, in particular, the discussion section, to provide detailed insights into the mediating role of business categories between investment structure and eco-efficiency.
We mentioned in our research hypothesis（lines 140-153）：Investors can choose different tourism products for investment based on market research results and tourism planning. These projects not only bring differences in factor inputs of production and income but also cause varying degrees of environmental pressure. The energy consumption per bed per night is 120 MJ in hotels, 90 MJ in resorts, and only 50 MJ in campgrounds. Among the amusement (Gössling,2002), the energy consumption of horse riding is 0.6 MJ/tourist, museums (10 MJ/tourist), zoos (16 MJ/tourist), experience centers (29 MJ/tourist), rafting (36 MJ/tourist), adventure activities (57 MJ/tourist), cruises (215 MJ/tourist), and diving (800 MJ/tourist) (Becken & Simmons, 2002). Fossil fuels are the main energy source in China’s forest parks, and high energy consumption means high pollution emissions. Tourism products preferred by consumers are often high energy consuming (Zhao et al., 2022), and private capital is more likely to choose high-energy tourism products to attract tourists. Although these tourism products can attract tourists and bring higher revenue, they consume higher energy and cause greater pressure on the ecological environment. Accordingly, the investment structure can inevitably affect ecological efficiency, and business categories play a mediating role between tourism investment and ecological efficiency.
We made changes and additions during the discussion（lines 466-492）：Our results indicate that investment structure significantly influences the ecological efficiency of forest parks and business category plays a mediating role between the two. The results, consistent with Mascia et al. (2014), and Paramati et al. (2018), demonstrate that the higher the proportion of private capital in the investment structure, the lower the ecological efficiency of forest parks, and vice versa. This can be explained by the fact that a significant portion of national capital is used for the ecological construction of forest parks, such as afforestation and forest transformation, as well as the construction of parking lots, signage systems, and restroom renovations for tourism-related facilities. However, these activities do not significantly contribute to increased tourism revenue or visitor numbers. For developing countries with low levels of urbanization, consumers prefer energy-intensive tourism products such as luxury hotels, spa resorts and amusement parks to rustic and back-to-nature ones (Zhao et al.,2022). Private capital needs to maximize profits as much as possible during the contract period, and in order to meet the market demand mostly focuses on developmental investment. Both energy-consuming amusement programs and accommodation programs will aggravate the conflict between tourism development and ecology (Gössling,2002ï¼›Li et al.,2022). As our empirical results indicate, an increase in the proportion of private capital corresponds to a higher share of forest park revenues coming from recreation and accommodation, both of which negatively affect eco-efficiency. As forest recreation gradually gains popularity, hotels and restaurants, hot spring wellness, and rural village accommodations are increasingly favored by large-scale private capital. The energy consumption intensity of lodging facilities located on the periphery is two to three times higher than that of urban centers (Heping Huang et al.,2016). To maximize profits, private capital is unlikely to willingly embrace cleaner energy sources or invest in more energy-efficient equipment, as these would raise their costs, a finding in line with Zhao et al. (2022). Effective forest park management in many developing countries may be achieved by decentralizing the allocation and control of investment funds to relevant interest groups (Wolfram et al.,2006; Hamin et al. ,2001). However, our results find that forest parks with a significant private capital share experience a decrease in eco-efficiency. This is because the profit-seeking nature of the investment body is different, leading to differences in the destination of capital investment, so the investment structure is the direct cause of the differences in the ecological efficiency of forest parks, and its path is the operation category.
6)What were the main findings related to the heterogeneity in how investment structures affect ecological efficiency, particularly in high-class and low-class forest parks?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. (lines 264-26) The scenic spot grade follows the quality grade standard of scenic spots in China. Forest parks are divided into five levels, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A from high to low. The higher the level, the higher the score of scenic spots in service quality, environmental quality, landscape quality and tourist satisfaction. (lines 362-368) the class of scenic spots reflects the comprehensive competitiveness of forest parks, such as service quality, management ability, and environmental quality. A high-class scenic spot with high market attractiveness can attract more capital, thus offering a broader range of tourism products. In other words, the influencing mechanism of different grades of forest parks on ecological efficiency may be different. Therefore, we divided the forest parks into two groups: high-class (5A and 4A) and low-class (3A and below) based on the Classification and Evaluation of Tourist Scenic Spot Quality Class in China.
Our main findings are (lines 493-504): Finally, the negative effect of investment structure on the eco-efficiency of forest parks was 3.1% higher in high-level forest parks, because of the heterogeneity effect of operation category as a mediating effect in different levels of forest parks. High-level forest parks have the capacity to secure more substantial funds, enabling investments not only in amusement projects but also in the development of hotels, spas, accommodations, and other hospitality-related ventures. Conversely, low-scenic level forest parks typically have access to fewer funds, leading to investments in lower-cost, faster-return amusement projects. For example, KUANDIAN Forest Park self-funded $900,000 for the construction of tourism projects such as children's playgrounds, a skating rink, and a water park. Therefore, high-levelled scenic area has a negative impact on eco-efficiency mainly through food and lodging operations; while low-levelled forest parks have a negative impact on eco-efficiency mainly through amusement operations. Since the negative impact of accommodation on eco-efficiency is higher than that of amusement, the negative impact of investment knots on forest parks is more pronounced in high-level forest parks.
7)Were there any variations in ecological efficiency based on different types of ecological indicators used in the study?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. The ecological indicator is a variable in Equation 3, and using different types of ecological indicators can lead to variations in ecological efficiency. In this study, we focused solely on analyzing environmental acidification resulting from forest tourism operations, given the forest system's capacity to absorb greenhouse gases. However, in future studies, we plan to consider the inclusion of other pollution indicators in the model.
8)How does the introduction of new energy-efficient technologies and practices contribute to enhancing ecological efficiency?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. As shown in Equations 7 through 9, pollutant emissions are closely related not only to the amount of energy used, but also to the type of energy. (lines 142-144) Fossil fuels are the main source of energy for forest parks in China, and high energy consumption means high pollution emissions. According to our findings, energy consumption in forest parks mainly comes from amusement facilities, catering and accommodation facilities, and park office buildings. Therefore, replacing the equipment of amusement facilities, adjusting the fuel mix, developing low-energy engines for tourism-related industries, and developing building insulation materials to avoid heat loss due to heating or cooling will help improve the eco-efficiency. Our changes are in lines 544-552: Firstly, atmospheric pollution is primarily caused by using fossil fuels, so adjusting the fuel composition and improving energy efficiency can help improve eco-efficiency. Echoing the sentiments articulated by Li et al. (2019), policymakers can incentivize forest park operators to replace antiquated machinery and facilities with more efficient alternatives and increase the proportion of clean energy through financial subsidy policies, such as installing solar streetlights and solar-powered buildings, promoting the use of new energy tour vehicles, and encouraging visitors to explore on foot. These devices not only align better with the ecological tourism philosophy of forest parks but also, from a long-term perspective, reduce fossil fuel consumption and economize tourism operation costs.
9) Could you discuss the role of public-private partnerships (PPP) in improving ecological efficiency, as well as potential challenges?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. We have made the following changes. We have added the following to lines 563-566: Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) provide a strategic avenue to address government fiscal constraints, reducing business risks and alleviating project financing challenges. The government should supervise through meticulous investment selection mechanisms and contractual frameworks to mitigate investment risks and prevent disputes.
10) How can policymakers effectively guide private capital to develop low-energy tourism projects while maintaining profitability?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. We offer suggestions for policy incentives such as financial subsidies, tax incentives, and special funding. The changes are in lines 552-557.
11) What are the key features of "creative hotels" that are environmentally friendly and how do they differ from traditional hotels?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. The main characteristics of the 'creative hotels' we recommend include low energy consumption, cost-effective construction, and proximity to nature. In contrast, traditional hotels are often associated with high energy consumption. Research shows that: the energy consumption per bed per night is 120 MJ in hotels, 90 MJ in resorts, and only 50 MJ in campgrounds Among the amusement (Gössling,2002).
12) What strategies can be employed to increase the proportion of low-energy amusement tourism projects in forest parks?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. (572-577 lines) We suggest that the government can engage in collaborative endeavors with forest parks to orchestrate forest tourism festivals, allowing visitors to experience joy in activities like forest yoga, fishing, bamboo rafting, nature education, forest picking, forest bathing, and jungle trekking, with an emphasis on experience, participation, health and individual development, so as to achieve development and protection in tandem, and to place equal emphasis on economy and ecology.
13) Are there any specific examples of policy initiatives that have successfully promoted sustainability in forest park management?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. Sustainability in forest park management, to maximize the positive impact on the forest park while ensuring its profitability, an effective approach is to enhance the supply capacity of forestry ecological products within the forest parks. To achieve this goal, Liaoning and the Forest Park have collaboratively organized events such as the Maple Leaf Festival, Mountaineering Festival, Picking Festival, and Walking Conference, encouraging tourists to engage in forest-based experiential and individual tourism activities (Lines 572-577). Concurrently, the forest park's essential infrastructure will be upgraded through the construction of ecological toilets and eco-friendly parking facilities, supported by dedicated funds (Lines 121-123).
14) Could you provide more information on the unique characteristics of forest parks in Liaoning and how these characteristics influence the study's results?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. For instance, in 2017, Liaoning Province had a total of 72 forest parks, consisting of 30 national forest parks and 42 provincial forest parks, covering a combined area of 217400Ha. In 2017, a total of 23.13 million tourists visited these forest parks, generating direct tourism revenue of RMB 1.164 billion. Within this revenue, 61.2% came from accommodation, food, and amusement services, while 21.1% was derived from entrance fees, and the remaining 17.7 % was from other sources such as rent. The total investment in these parks amounted to RMB 640 million, with private investment contributing to 86.6% and state investment making up the remaining 13.4%. Among the national forest parks, there were 12 graded as 4A or higher and 16 graded as 3A or lower. State investment is divided into special funds for forest tourism and public welfare forest compensation funds. The special funds are used for the construction of tourism support facilities such as ecological toilet renovation, ecological car parks, tourist hiking trails and signage systems, while the public welfare forest compensation funds are used for forest planting and forest phase renovation in forest parks (lines 120-123). Private capital is used for tourism product development. For example, KUANDIAN Forest Park (low level) self-financed 900 thousand USD invested in the construction of children's playgrounds, ice skating rinks, water parks, and other tourism projects; Xijiao Forest Park (high level) invested 30 million USD in the development of hot springs and hotels. From this information, it can be found that the proportion of private capital in the investment structure is negatively related to eco-efficiency, and the type of operation invested plays an intermediary role between the two; forest parks with less investment amount invest in amusement projects, and forest parks with larger investment amount invest in accommodation and food projects, and the amount of investment is correlated with the level of the park. So the mediating effect of forest parks with different scenic levels produced heterogeneity.
15) How do the findings of this study apply to other regions or countries, particularly those facing similar ecological and tourism development challenges?
Reply：Thank you for your suggestion. The literature suggests that, due to the high opportunity cost associated with nature conservation and the pressure brought by economic benefits, many governments chose to reduce the Regulations on nature conservation, thereby the weakening of the restriction on destructive human development activities (Mascia et al., 2014). Our research has revealed that in countries with low levels of urbanization, tourists tend to favor modern forms of tourism, such as luxury hotels and amusement parks, over rustic and back-to-nature experiences. Private capital often invests in the development of these modern tourism products to maximize profits, which can lead to lower eco-efficiency in forest parks where private capital has a significant presence. Our recommendations are:
Firstly, when designing master planning programs for forest parks, it's important to prioritize the enhancement of the supply capacity of ecotourism products. Policymakers can facilitate this by directing private capital towards the development of the experiential value of forest parks through special grants or project subsidy policies. For instance, based on the unique resource advantages of each scenic spot, there is an opportunity to develop and construct creative hotels like camping tents, crystal houses, and wooden cabins. These alternatives consume less energy, cost less, and provide a closer connection to nature compared to the energy-intensive star-rated hotels commonly found in urban areas. Additionally, encouraging forest parks to increase the proportion of low-energy consumption amusement products is essential. The government can collaborate with forest parks to organize forest tourism festivals, offering tourists the opportunity to engage in eco-tourism activities such as forest yoga, fishing, bamboo rafting, nature education, forest foraging, forest bathing, and jungle trekking. These activities prioritize experiential, participatory, health-focused, and individual development aspects.
Secondly, when planning for accommodation and recreational facilities, policymakers can encourage forest park operators to make eco-friendly investments by offering financial subsidies. This could include replacing outdated machinery and facilities with more energy-efficient alternatives, increasing the use of clean energy sources like solar street lights and solar buildings, and implementing new energy-efficient transportation options such as electric buses or guided hiking tours wherever feasible.
Thirdly, incentivize companies to invest in research and development of low energy consumption engines for tourism-related sectors, and research and development of building insulation materials to avoid heat loss from heating or cooling. This can also be done through public-private partnerships (PPP), which can make up for the Government's financial constraints, reduce the risks borne by enterprises and make project financing less difficult, while the Government should ensure investor selection mechanisms and contracts to reduce investment risks and avoid liability disputes should.
Fourthly, the introduction of more advanced equipment or ecotourism planning programs through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an effective method that can quickly elevate technological capabilities in a relatively short period of time.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors provided extensive explanations which, at least partially, answered my concerns.
It seems that English have improved (but again I am not a native speaker, so I am not the best person to judge).
Regarding the title: add ‘A case study from Liaoning province.’
Author Response
Thank you very much. According to your suggestion, we have changed the title to "How do Investment Structure and Business Category Affect the Ecological Efficiency of Forest Parks? A Case Study from Liaoning province, China"
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsAccept in present form.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your efforts on our manuscript.
