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[HCG10-03] Tourists’ Attitude toward Nature Preservation Activities at Hulun Lake Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia
Keywords:Nature Reserve, Nature Preservation Activities , Tourists, Attitude
Introduction
Nature reserve system is employed in China as effective measures to protect an ecosystem, diversity of natural creatures, natural resources, and sceneries. China’s Western Development Program, which started in 2000, implemented tourism development in the nature reserve in Inner Mongolia, and its economic effect has been recognized. However, one of the efforts expected in regard to tourism management within the nature reserve is to induce tourists’ understanding of ecosystem and to promote nature preservation activities by converting tourism usage to eco-tourism. It is also required to understand tourists’ attitudes in order to promote their nature preservation activities. Hulun Lake Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve located in Hulun Buir City in Inner Mongolia. In this study, the purpose thus has been set to understand tourists’ attitude toward nature preservation activities at Hulun Lake Nature Reserve, and to identify key factors for them to participate in such activities.
Study Methods
An attitude research was conducted from the end of August to the middle of November in 2015, with the tourists who visited Hulun Lake Nature Reserve as a study subject. The research was administered with a questionnaire survey, which obtained 1,536 effective responses. The questionnaire included questions to ask respondents’ demographics and attitude toward nature preservation activities with four-scale answers (“strongly agree”, “agree”, “do not agree”, and “do not agree at all”).
Results
The respondents’ demographics were 749 male and 787 female, and 72% of the respondents had educational qualification of high school and above. The largest number of respondents was from 30’s and 40’s, which counted 45% of the total respondents. Regarding the occupations, office workers, such as public servants, counted 43%, which was the largest group, followed by students 29%, and unemployed and agro-pastoralists together 38%. As for the races, 69% of the respondents were Han, 24% Mongolians, and others including the Russians and the Evenks 7%. Fifty-five percent of the respondents were domestic tourists from outside Inner Mongolia.
With the result of the top two boxes (“strongly agree” and “agree”), “1. Importance of nature and open green space can be communicated to other citizens through the activities” scored highest (98%), followed by “5. It is refreshing with soothing effects by animals and vegetation” (81%), “2. My hobby, such as observation of animals and vegetation can be satisfied” (81%), “6. Quality green space can be preserved for scenery or play grounds” (80%), and “3. Local economy will be stimulated with increased employment in the area” (78%). The total score of “do not agree” and “do not agree at all” among tourists was the highest with “4. Knowledge about and technology for nature and green space conservation will be enhanced” (34.6%)
In this research, tourists’ attitude towards nature preservation activities at Hulun Lake Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia has been clarified.
Nature reserve system is employed in China as effective measures to protect an ecosystem, diversity of natural creatures, natural resources, and sceneries. China’s Western Development Program, which started in 2000, implemented tourism development in the nature reserve in Inner Mongolia, and its economic effect has been recognized. However, one of the efforts expected in regard to tourism management within the nature reserve is to induce tourists’ understanding of ecosystem and to promote nature preservation activities by converting tourism usage to eco-tourism. It is also required to understand tourists’ attitudes in order to promote their nature preservation activities. Hulun Lake Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve located in Hulun Buir City in Inner Mongolia. In this study, the purpose thus has been set to understand tourists’ attitude toward nature preservation activities at Hulun Lake Nature Reserve, and to identify key factors for them to participate in such activities.
Study Methods
An attitude research was conducted from the end of August to the middle of November in 2015, with the tourists who visited Hulun Lake Nature Reserve as a study subject. The research was administered with a questionnaire survey, which obtained 1,536 effective responses. The questionnaire included questions to ask respondents’ demographics and attitude toward nature preservation activities with four-scale answers (“strongly agree”, “agree”, “do not agree”, and “do not agree at all”).
Results
The respondents’ demographics were 749 male and 787 female, and 72% of the respondents had educational qualification of high school and above. The largest number of respondents was from 30’s and 40’s, which counted 45% of the total respondents. Regarding the occupations, office workers, such as public servants, counted 43%, which was the largest group, followed by students 29%, and unemployed and agro-pastoralists together 38%. As for the races, 69% of the respondents were Han, 24% Mongolians, and others including the Russians and the Evenks 7%. Fifty-five percent of the respondents were domestic tourists from outside Inner Mongolia.
With the result of the top two boxes (“strongly agree” and “agree”), “1. Importance of nature and open green space can be communicated to other citizens through the activities” scored highest (98%), followed by “5. It is refreshing with soothing effects by animals and vegetation” (81%), “2. My hobby, such as observation of animals and vegetation can be satisfied” (81%), “6. Quality green space can be preserved for scenery or play grounds” (80%), and “3. Local economy will be stimulated with increased employment in the area” (78%). The total score of “do not agree” and “do not agree at all” among tourists was the highest with “4. Knowledge about and technology for nature and green space conservation will be enhanced” (34.6%)
In this research, tourists’ attitude towards nature preservation activities at Hulun Lake Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia has been clarified.