Problems and Countermeasures of Ecotourism Development in China

I, the connotation of ecotourism and its characteristics

In recent years, "eco-tourism" has become a hot word in society, the mountains and the sea, the scenery and sightseeing seem to have something to do with eco-tourism, but what exactly is eco-tourism, eco-tourism and what it will bring to us, but very few people are able to say accurately, say thoroughly. thoroughly. Ecotourism is a term used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Special Advisor, Mr. Ceballos Rascari, to describe ecotourism. Ceballas-Lascurain, Special Advisor to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), first proposed ecotourism in 1983. In 1993, the International Ecotourism Society (IES) defined ecotourism as a tourism activity that has the dual responsibility of protecting the natural environment and preserving the lives of local people. The connotation of ecotourism emphasizes more on the protection of natural landscape and sustainable tourism. Hilal, the coordinator of the tourism program of the United Nations Environment Programme, gives the following definition: ecotourism is tourism in a purely natural environment. Travelers are educated about environmental protection during their journey. This kind of tourism has no destructive effect on the ecology of the destination. Moreover, it requires greater involvement of local communities and benefits them in the medium and long term. The World Bank's Environment Department and the Ecotourism Society define ecotourism as a purposeful journey to a natural area to learn about the cultural and natural history of the environment, which is not destructive to nature and which results in an economic gain for the local community from the conservation of natural resources. Ecotourism as a green tourism consumption, once put forward will cause a huge reaction in the world, just two decades later today, the concept of ecotourism rapidly spread to the world, its connotation has been constantly enriched, combined with the above various views, for the current living environment continues to deteriorate, the author believes that the essence of ecotourism should include three meanings: First, ecotourism must be a tourism activity based on the natural environment, to To satisfy the strong desire of human beings to return to nature; Secondly, ecotourism should embody the consciousness of environmental protection, and should not be used to obtain economic benefits at the cost of resource depletion, in order to differentiate it from the traditional tourism industry; Thirdly, ecotourism should be based on the premise of improving the quality of life of the local residents, and increasing enough employment opportunities, and at the same time, creating enough economic benefits for the local community.

Compared with traditional tourism, ecotourism has the following characteristics:

1. Protective. Like traditional tourism, eco-tourism will also have a negative impact on tourism resources and the tourism environment. However, comparatively speaking, the protective nature is the biggest feature that distinguishes it from traditional tourism. It requires tourists and the tourism industry to restrain their behavior to protect tourism resources and tourism environment. The protective nature of ecotourism is reflected in all aspects of tourism. For tourism development planners, the protective embodiment of following the laws of natural ecology and harmony between man and nature, tourism product development design, full understanding of the economic value of tourism resources, the value of resources into the costing, in the scientific development of the planning basis for sustainable investment benefits; for managers, the protective embodiment of the environmental capacity of resources within the scope of the use of tourism, to put an end to the short-term behavior, to seek sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits. Seek sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits of the coordinated development of the three; for tourists, the protective embodiment of environmental awareness and improve their own quality, consciously protect tourism resources and the environment.

2, professionalism. Eco-tourism has a high scientific and cultural connotation, which requires that the design and management of tourism facilities, tourism projects, tourism routes, tourism services should reflect a strong professionalism, so that tourists in a relatively short period of time to return to the spiritual enjoyment of nature and satisfaction, to inspire and improve the tourists to love and protect the awareness of nature, and then consciously protect tourism resources and the environment; at the same time, the professionalism of tourism management is also a major factor in the protection of tourism resources and the environment. At the same time, the professionalism of tourism management is also one of the prerequisites for the protection and sustainable utilization of tourism resources and environment as well as the coordinated development of the three major benefits. Furthermore, professionalism is also reflected in the tourism psychology of tourists. Eco-tourists are not blind tourists who are caught up in the trend of tourist fashions without a defined purpose, nor are they tourists who pursue luxury and material enjoyment and believe that money can buy out nature, but rather, they are tourists at a higher level with a clear requirement to appreciate, explore and recognize nature and local culture.

3. Popularity. In China, the popularity of ecotourism is not only reflected in the popularity of ecotourists, but also in the popularity of tourism resources. Eco-tourism is built on the basis of traditional tourism, therefore, China's eco-tourism should not be the privilege of high consumption and high-quality people, as long as the local environment to understand the culture and natural history of knowledge for tourism purposes, and can consciously protect and cherish the tourism resources and the environment, the ordinary workers, farmers, employees, students and so on can become eco-tourists. In terms of tourism resources, Western countries will be ecotourism is only located in the natural landscape, and China is an ancient civilization with a long history of 5,000 years, nature has been integrated with culture, so China's eco-tourism is not only the object of natural landscapes, but also includes cultural landscapes that are in harmony with nature

Second, China's eco-tourism development problems

1, ecological awareness of tourism Backward

China's research on the connotation of ecotourism there is still some disagreement, many people on the understanding of ecotourism tour only stays in the nature, and ignored the significance of ecotourism, environmental education and cultural protection. This misunderstanding directly leads to many problems, first of all, the market positioning of ecotourism products is not clear. The experience of ecotourism development shows that ecotourism should be positioned as a high-level group of tourists with a sense of responsibility. At present in China, there is no distinction between the traditional mass tourism clientele and the high-level ecotourism clientele, and the entry of a large number of sightseeing tourists has caused damage to the environment of ecotourism areas. Secondly, the development and management of mass tourism to ecotourism areas, development and management of improper environmental damage. For example, in the face of the Golden Week on the mass tourism market widely recruited, resulting in excessive access to scenic areas.

2, the rough development of tourism resources and blind utilization

Many areas of government departments in the development of tourism resources, the lack of in-depth investigation and research and comprehensive scientific evidence, assessment and planning, they are hastily developed. Especially the development of new tourist areas, developers in a hurry, in the absence of the necessary demonstration and overall planning conditions, they blindly explore the type of rough development. The development of heavy development, light protection, resulting in many non-renewable valuable tourism resources damage and waste.

3, the lack of truly scientific ecotourism planning

First of all, the development of the team's problems, ecotourism is very strong professionalism, and at the same time to take into account the protection of the ecological environment and the community's economic development and other multiple goals, so not only need to be a variety of experts, but also to absorb the participation of representatives of the local population, and China's current ecotourism development and planning team is still using the traditional mass tourism China's current ecotourism development planning team is still using the traditional mass tourism planning staff structure and planning methods, which is no longer in line with the requirements of ecotourism planning. Secondly, the planning of protection awareness is indifferent, the lack of necessary protection means and technology.

4, serious environmental damage in the scenic area

China's current stage of tourism development for the destruction of the natural environment is mainly concentrated in the following areas: First, due to improper planning and development of ecosystem damage; Second, excessive tourists enter the environment over the carrying capacity of the damage caused; Third, consumers enter the garbage pollution generated after not getting good recycling and management caused by the destruction. Destruction. With the development of tourism, there are many hotels and guest houses in the tourist areas, and as the number of tourists increases year by year, the number of buildings and living facilities in the scenic spots also increases tremendously, which brings about the pollution of domestic wastewater, garbage, feces, and coal, etc., and reduces the quality of the environment in the tourist areas, and the ornamental value is also depreciated. According to reports, among the nature reserves where eco-tourism activities have been carried out, 44% of the reserves have garbage nuisance, 12% have water pollution, 11% have noise pollution, and 3% have air pollution. Due to the unreasonable development by developers, improper management by managers, and uncivilized tourism by tourists, the natural beauty of natural and humanistic landscapes has been destroyed, the partnership between human and nature has been damaged, and the sustainable development of tourism has been hindered.

5, the lack of professional and technical personnel of ecotourism

This is another major cause of ecotourism problems. The real meaning of ecotourism on product design has specialized requirements, technology is more complex. And China's ecotourism development practice is still short, ecology and tourism is relatively independent, so both know the knowledge of ecology and tourism knowledge, and at the same time can correctly grasp the connotation of ecotourism professionals lack. More importantly, the development of ecotourism depends on the resources of many different departments under the jurisdiction of the Tourism Administration as a tourism management organization is difficult to participate in the development and management of ecotourism opinions, and most of the conservation sector and at the same time to engage in the development of both professional background or management level can not meet the diversified requirements of ecotourism on the development of management personnel.

Third, China's sustainable development of ecotourism countermeasures

1, comprehensive consideration, unified planning

Tourism environment is an organic inseparable unity, it is not only the elements of the interlinked, mutual constraints on the whole, but also in the plot of land between the region is also a combination of the whole. If the construction or development activities lack comprehensive planning and long-term consideration, it will deteriorate the original ecosystem. Doing a good job of tourism development planning and implementing the idea of resource and environmental protection is not only a guarantee for the success of development, but also an important measure to prevent the destruction of resources and the environment. The main factors that must be taken into account in ecotourism planning include: the condition and characteristics of tourism resources and their spatial distribution; the categories, interests and needs of tourists; the economic and cultural background of the inhabitants of the tourist site and their capacity to accommodate tourism activities; and the integration of the tourist activities of tourists as well as the production and living activities of the local inhabitants with the tourism environment. In formulating ecotourism planning, it is necessary to analyze the importance of ecotourism sites, rationally divide functional areas, and draw up various planning schemes suitable for animal habitats, plant growth, sightseeing tours for tourists, and residence of residents. Make full use of the river, lake, mountain, green space and climate conditions, to create a beautiful landscape for tourists, for local residents to create a hygienic, comfortable and quiet living environment.

2, strengthen the publicity of ecotourism, the formation of a good atmosphere of public opinion

Eco-tourism is a kind of special interest tourism activities in the world, especially in China is still a new thing, tourists, tourism residents, tourism operators, government officials and even tourism academics, what is eco-tourism, how to operate eco-tourism, eco-tourism, how to evaluate the effects are still a lack of understanding. Evaluation, are still lack of knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the publicity work of ecotourism, with the help of various means and ways of publicity, to raise the environmental awareness of the whole population, so that the public will realize that the destruction of tourism resources is a danger to their own life and welfare, so that they can take action spontaneously and take measures to protect the environment of tourism resources. However, the public's ecological awareness does not progress and improve as a whole, and different levels of knowledge and stages of development constrain people's awareness of it. It is necessary for the government and tourism enterprises to formulate some measures to improve the public's awareness of ecological environmental protection. For example, the government regularly announces to the public information about the quality of the environment and the damage of pollution to the economy and health, and through the tourism enterprises in the publicity and introduction of tourism activities and arrangements, consciously increase the content related to environmental protection, such as planting commemorative trees, and carry out knowledge contests related to ecological and environmental protection in scenic spots. In order to improve the public awareness of the ecological environment, the formation of ecological environmental protection of the good atmosphere of social opinion and values.

3, adhere to the protection of the main tourism development as a complementary approach

The construction of nature reserves is the first task is to protect the natural resources in the area and the natural environment, the other work must be carried out around the protection of the work, in particular, the development of natural resources within the protected area shall not be to the destruction of resources and the environment as a price. Therefore, the development of eco-tourism must be based on the principles of ecology and aim at promoting the benign development of the ecological environment of the nature reserve. On the premise of protecting natural resources and the natural environment, it should be developed moderately according to the overall plan of the nature reserve. Ecotourism development area must be strictly limited to the scope of the experimental area of the reserve, tourism reception capacity and the actual reception shall not be greater than the tourism ecological capacity of the reserve, to truly achieve the dual purpose of protection and sustainable development.

4, the establishment of a sound system of laws and regulations, according to law and orderly development of ecotourism. First of all, to prepare a high starting point, high standard, high level, ecotourism planning, guidance and coordination of ecotourism resources construction work, ecotourism into a planned, step-by-step track; second, the development of ecotourism and ecotourism management methods and rules and regulations, ecological environmental protection and ecotourism resources development into the legalized track, according to the law, ecotourism development, ecotourism development, to avoid ecotourism development of the Blindness and disorder, to ensure that the development of ecotourism in a scientific, standardized and orderly manner