Land | Special Issue : Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development

Research

23 pages, 5377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tourist Walking Trails in Italy and Argentina: Navigating Political Recognition and Socio-Territorial Innovation

by Mario Coscarello and Gabriele Manella

Land 2024, 13(9), 1405; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091405 - 31 Aug 2024

Viewed by 987

Tourism is often considered the world’s biggest industry, as it contributes approximately 10% of the global GDP. Despite this economic impact, tourism also includes important critical issues like territorial inequalities, diminishment of local engagement, and has high environmental and cultural impacts. This study [...] Read more.

Tourism is often considered the world’s biggest industry, as it contributes approximately 10% of the global GDP. Despite this economic impact, tourism also includes important critical issues like territorial inequalities, diminishment of local engagement, and has high environmental and cultural impacts. This study investigates the rise of “walking trail tourism”, a niche sector where the respect for local communities and the environmental sustainability are particularly important. The focus is on Italy and Argentina: two countries with very different political, tourism, and biophysical backgrounds, but with the common recent development of walking trails and forms of social innovation. This study explores three main questions: the trends in walking trail tourism, the role of these trails in fostering local social innovation, and the influence of national policies in this domain. The study combines historical-statistical analysis, political–legislative review, and interviews with experts in order to assess all these aspects. Findings reveal significant social innovation trends within walking trail tourism but also challenges in territorial coordination and the establishment of national governance. Italy and Argentina are both characterized by an opposite situation regarding walking trails: there are several local initiatives but a lack of national guidelines in the former, and some good national policies but few bottom-up initiatives in the latter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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25 pages, 83944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Entropy Weight and MaxEnt Models for Ecotourism Suitability Assessment in Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park

by Qianhong Quan and Yijin Wu

Land 2024, 13(8), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081269 - 12 Aug 2024

Viewed by 669

Abstract

The development of ecotourism in protected areas faces the challenge of balancing conservation and ecotourism. Ecotourism suitability assessments are essential tools for managing tourism in these areas. However, current assessments often overlook biological factors, leading to adverse effects on wildlife. This study uses [...] Read more.

The development of ecotourism in protected areas faces the challenge of balancing conservation and ecotourism. Ecotourism suitability assessments are essential tools for managing tourism in these areas. However, current assessments often overlook biological factors, leading to adverse effects on wildlife. This study uses the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park as a case study to establish a comprehensive assessment system that integrates ecotourism suitability with tiger and leopard habitat suitability, thereby linking ecotourism with wildlife conservation. The primary research methods include ecotourism suitability analysis based on the entropy weight method and habitat suitability analysis using the MaxEnt model. Based on the zoning results of ecotourism and habitat suitability, a comprehensive ecotourism suitability zoning map was produced. This map indicates that areas of very high suitability account for 45.62% of the total area, covering approximately 6152.563 km², and are primarily located on the edges of village clusters. These areas can be prioritized for developing tourism infrastructure. The comprehensive ecotourism assessment system can balance the development of ecotourism with wildlife conservation, contributing significantly to the coordinated development of economic, social, and environmental objectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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23 pages, 1472 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Protection of Natural and Cultural Landscapes through Community-Based Tourism: The Case of the Indigenous Kamoro Tribe in West Papua, Indonesia

by Timika Aryani Anindhita, Seweryn Zielinski, Celene B. Milanes and Young-joo Ahn

Land 2024, 13(8), 1237; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081237 - 8 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1112

Abstract

Community-based tourism (CBT) aims to offer responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, sustaining local communities’ well-being, and promoting environmental and cultural education. The long-term sustainability of CBT depends on its ability to enhance local livelihoods while protecting natural landscapes. For the [...] Read more.

Community-based tourism (CBT) aims to offer responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, sustaining local communities’ well-being, and promoting environmental and cultural education. The long-term sustainability of CBT depends on its ability to enhance local livelihoods while protecting natural landscapes. For the Kamoro indigenous tribe in Papua, Indonesia, CBT offers a way to engage with the capitalist world on their own terms while preserving their customs, traditions, and ecocentric worldviews, and sharing them with tourists interested in their culture. However, as evidenced by many failed CBT initiatives, it is not always a desirable or viable path for development due to numerous barriers faced by communities and the potential negative impacts of tourism. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the Kamoro people’s attitudes towards tourism, the barriers to engaging in tourism, and their concerns about its impacts. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with community members and local organizations. The results show that although local people view tourism as a viable economic alternative, they face significant challenges, including a lack of trained human resources, infrastructure, financial support, tourism knowledge, government backing, and cooperation among local stakeholders, among others. While tourism development does not always guarantee the protection of natural and cultural landscapes, a community-led initiative supported by the government can serve as a barrier against the engagement of less sustainable industries controlled by external agents, which could have far more serious negative consequences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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19 pages, 2686 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Pro-Environmental Destination Image on Resident Environmental Citizenship Behavior: The Mediating Roles of Satisfaction and Pride

by Jian Cao, Hongliang Qiu, Alastair M. Morrison and Yingzhi Guo

Land 2024, 13(7), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071075 - 17 Jul 2024

Viewed by 784

Abstract

Despite the lengthy history of the research on destination image from various perspectives, how pro-environmental destination image promotes resident environmental citizenship behavior remains underexplored. Grounded in the cognition–affect–behavior (CAB) model, this research investigated the translation of pro-environmental destination image into resident environmental citizenship [...] Read more.

Despite the lengthy history of the research on destination image from various perspectives, how pro-environmental destination image promotes resident environmental citizenship behavior remains underexplored. Grounded in the cognition–affect–behavior (CAB) model, this research investigated the translation of pro-environmental destination image into resident environmental citizenship behavior via satisfaction and pride. Data were collected using an intercept survey approach from a tourism village recognized as one of the best in the world by UNWTO. The results indicated that a pro-environmental destination image has a positive impact on resident environmental citizenship behavior in the private and public domains. Furthermore, resident satisfaction and pride serve as mediators between pro-environmental destination image and resident environmental citizenship behavior. This research contributes to the literature on resident environmental citizenship behavior by considering the role of pro-environmental destination image. The findings provide practical implications for fostering environmental citizenship behavior through the presentation of pro-environmental images to residents and eliciting their positive emotions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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17 pages, 1086 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Public Support for Bolivia’s Protected Areas: A Contingent Valuation Approach

by Stefanie Rakela, Thais Vilela, Sophia Espinoza, Alfonso Malky Harb and Carla Mendizábal Vergara

Land 2024, 13(6), 868; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060868 - 16 Jun 2024

Viewed by 870

Abstract

This study investigates Bolivians’ willingness to pay for an annual passport facilitating visits to protected areas (PAs) in Bolivia, aiming to address challenges in PA financing and management amidst escalating deforestation. Employing the contingent valuation method, a representative sample of citizens aged 18 [...] Read more.

This study investigates Bolivians’ willingness to pay for an annual passport facilitating visits to protected areas (PAs) in Bolivia, aiming to address challenges in PA financing and management amidst escalating deforestation. Employing the contingent valuation method, a representative sample of citizens aged 18 or older from major cities across Bolivia participated in a telephone interviewing questionnaire. The findings reveal limited public awareness and recognition of PAs, alongside significant interest in visiting these areas for tourism purposes or simply donating to the system to reduce its current financial gaps. Concerns regarding trust and transparency in fund management are highlighted, with demographic factors and perceptions influencing willingness to pay estimated at approximately USD 35 for a one-year passport. This study underscores the necessity for targeted interventions to enhance public awareness, improve infrastructure, and ensure transparency in fund management, thereby promoting sustainable tourism and safeguarding Bolivia’s PAs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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23 pages, 4393 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Spatial Distribution of Ecotourism in Indonesia and Its Relevance to the Protected Landscape

by Saraswati Sisriany and Katsunori Furuya

Land 2024, 13(3), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030370 - 15 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1562

Abstract

Ecotourism, a dynamic force in global tourism, holds promise for conserving the environment while ensuring benefits for local economies. In this study, we developed an ecotourism distribution map of Indonesia. We utilized location-based social networks (LSBNs) data derived from Google Maps API to [...] Read more.

Ecotourism, a dynamic force in global tourism, holds promise for conserving the environment while ensuring benefits for local economies. In this study, we developed an ecotourism distribution map of Indonesia. We utilized location-based social networks (LSBNs) data derived from Google Maps API to map 172 ecotourism sites in Indonesia. Furthermore, we investigated the distribution patterns of ecotourism within Indonesia’s protected landscapes and ecoregions. The factors that influenced ecotourism distribution in the region were analyzed using the MaxEnt model (because of its application for presence-only data). The key findings revealed that ecotourism sites are predominantly distributed across national parks and protected forest areas, and generally consist of mountainous and hilly terrain according to the ecoregion types. The MaxEnt model results indicated that population density was the most influential factor in ecotourism distribution. The significance of our study lies in its methodologies and results, which offered novel approaches to nationwide mapping and addressed the lack of an ecotourism site map of Indonesia. Notably, the proposed model can be customized for other regions with limited ecotourism data; thus, our study can serve as a foundation for future interdisciplinary studies on ecotourism, sustainability, and landscape planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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19 pages, 9625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Mosaic Natural Conditions on the Tourism Management of a Lowland Water Reservoir, Lake Tisza, Hungary

by Borbála Benkhard, Péter Csorba, Tamás Mester, Dániel Balla, Emőke Kiss, György Szabó, István Fazekas, Róbert Vass, Azin Rooien and Mária Vasvári

Land 2023, 12(12), 2092; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122092 - 21 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1364

Abstract

The increasing number of visitors and conflicts resulting from shared use in valorising sensitive wetlands make effective visitor and site management measures essential. In the course of this research, the landscape pattern, the current spatial distribution of tourist activities and the possible arrangement [...] Read more.

The increasing number of visitors and conflicts resulting from shared use in valorising sensitive wetlands make effective visitor and site management measures essential. In the course of this research, the landscape pattern, the current spatial distribution of tourist activities and the possible arrangement of expedient further development were examined. The study area, Lake Tisza, is an artificial lowland reservoir established in the 1970s with an area of 127 km² in Hungary. Among its original functions, in addition to flood control, nature conservation and recreation have become the main profiles. The diverse hydro-ecological features and mosaic landscape structure allow for nature conservation and utilisation in tourism. This differentiated use is in line with the worldwide trend of favouring locations with multiple leisure activities in close proximity to each other. Based on the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) 2018 database, 12 different land use categories were identified in the study area. The largest proportion is represented by water bodies (53.29%), while inland marshes and broad-leaved forests cover 22.25% and 16.64%, respectively. The heterogeneity of the area is considerably enhanced by the high patch sizes of the categories pastures, broad-leaved forests and inland marshes. According to the Shannon diversity index, the most complex landscape diversity can be found in the Tiszavalk (1.5) and Poroszló (1.4) basins, considered to be the most suitable for ecotourism, while the lower values of the Sarud (1.1) and Abadszalók (1.1) basins provide suitable conditions for water sport activities and recreational tourism. Continuous adaptation to social needs and the joint protection of natural values is crucial for the sustainable development of Lake Tisza. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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22 pages, 10802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing a Tourism City from an Ecosystem Services Perspective: The Evaluation of Tourism Service in Liyang, China

by Xiangnan Fan and Yuning Cheng

Land 2023, 12(11), 2019; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112019 - 6 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1322

Abstract

Tourism is an important industry that promotes national economic and social progress. All-for-one tourism is a new concept of regionally coordinated development that uses the tourism industry as an engine to boost resource integration, industrial integration, and social sharing. Tourism service is the [...] Read more.

Tourism is an important industry that promotes national economic and social progress. All-for-one tourism is a new concept of regionally coordinated development that uses the tourism industry as an engine to boost resource integration, industrial integration, and social sharing. Tourism service is the main embodiment of cultural ecosystem services for all-for-one tourism cities. Taking the city of Liyang in China as an example, this paper used a combination of GIS spatial analysis and big data text mining to evaluate tourism service from three aspects: the quality of tourism resources, the comprehensiveness of tourism service facilities, and the satisfaction of tourists. The results show that (1) tourism service is better in the northwestern and eastern areas of the city, while it is lower in the northeastern and southwestern parts; (2) the hotspot areas should focus on improving tour routes, transport capacity, and excessive charges; the cold spot areas should work on ecological restoration and creating new tourism attractions by combining the local industries; and (3) rural tourism integrating agriculture and visitation should be highlighted as a key growth point to improve the city’s tourism service function. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape-Scale Sustainable Tourism Development)

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