josiah chan values of ecotourism in an urban setting - hong kong · 2019. 8. 8. · background –...
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Values of Ecotourism in an Urban Setting: Hong Kong
Josiah Chan
The City University of Hong Kong
Background – academic
• The agenda of ecotourism in western countries covered beyond the tourism sector
• In Hong Kong, the discussion was about…
– The resources and their sustainability (Mckercher & Fu,
2006)
– The marketability in relation to destination
management (Mckercher & Chan, 2002)
– The business opportunity (Chan et al., 2008)
• Limited research concerning the broader goals and aspirations of ecotourism from a community perspective
Background – industry
• Hong Kong has achieved only limited success in ecotourism development in terms of business potential and increasing tourist arrivals (McKercher & Chan, 2002; McKercher & Fu, 2006; Chan
et al., 2008)
• However, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is still promoting this niche sector aggressively (HKTB, 2010)
Objectives
• To identify the values of ecotourism in Hong Kong – from a broader perspective
• To identify the possible mode of developing ecotourism in Hong Kong
Literature Review – Value for community
• The true value of ecotourism could relate to economic, environmental, societal and cultural issues in a community (Pickering et al., 2007)
– A broader conservation strategy (Stem et al., 2003)
– Not only environmental functions, but also
cultural and social functions such as
recreational and educational functions (Ohe, 2008)
– Foster transformations in ecological
consciousness leading to a sustainable human-
environmental relationship (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2009)
– The cause of new values & social relations (Stronza, 2007)
Literature Review – Value for industry
• Mass tourism market could benefit ecotourism by providing a diversified choice in soft ecotourism mode accommodating the ‘green’ trend
• Ecotourism also benefited from the mass market through its supply of a large number of clientele generating economic of scales amendable to sustainability (Weaver, 2001b)
Literature Review – True value?
• Ecotourism generating numerous beneficial impacts for the host communities, tourists and environments (Weaver, 2001a)
• Ecotourism was related beyond the tourism industry, although the cost and benefit to other sectors remained ambiguous
– Disproportional benefit distribution among
stakeholders in China (He et al., 2008)
– Benefits mostly external operators and urban
residents, rather than rural residents who were
the direct suppliers in Indonesia (Walpole & Goodwin,
2000).
Literature Review –Promotion
x Barriers for the success of ecotourism business, namely enterprise, agency, host community, and networks (Silva and McDill, 2004)
x Small business owners lack of marketing skill or high cost of advertising
�Montreal’s geo-tourism: Utilizing government funding to develop website with interactive map guide and podcasting made (Verner et al., 2009)
�Internet has proven to be a popular information source for ecotourists (Donohoe &
Methodology
• Qualitative approach
• Relevant literatures were reviewed
• Non-structured questionnaire was developed
– 1st section: current development of ecotourism
in Hong Kong, with a particular focus on the
community involvement in ecotourism activities
– 2nd section: broader benefits of ecotourism
beyond the tourism industry, and possible
business model of ecotourism service provider
• Interviews conducted in Sep/Oct-2010
Profile of interviewees
Name Primary role Additional role
1 Mr. S.M. Chan
Eco-tour destination scenery photographer
N/A
2 Mr. K.
Chung
Public relations
expert in the tourism field
Ecotourism
association organizer3 Mr. L.
Cheung
Lecturer at academic
institution
Ecotourism course
trainer4 Ms. Q.
WongEco-tour operator N/A
5 Mr. E. Cheuk
Freelance reporter and editor of tourism
trade publications
Research student majoring in tourism
Findings – Recent ecotourism development
• Two major types of clienteles: domestic tourists and inbound tourists
• Domestic market has rejuvenated recently because of the establishment of geo-parks
– Some travellers with keen interest to learn
more
– Most considered geo-park tours as sightseeing
• Geo-tourism could be major attraction in future
• Some guides take-up professional development
Findings – Ecotourism in relation to domestic tourism
• Domestic market was merely surviving
• Activities were mostly for leisure only, and did not bear any education or conservation label
• Some experienced tourists well-coordinated with own arrangement generating limited economic benefits
• Possible negative effects of tourism activities
Findings – Ecotourism in relation to inbound tourism
• Inbound market was still insignificant
• Taiwan, Japan, and Korea: Operators included eco-tours, the number of visitors was still small, but awareness increased. Some individual travelers might stay longer
• Caucasian market: Operators provide eco-tours as an alternative, feedback was encouraging, particularly the cruise travelers to Sai Kung, Luk Keng and Sam Mui Tsai in Tai Po
Findings – Possible business mode
• Number of travellers and business volume were insufficient to support a sizable eco-operator
• Some nature-loving foreigners set up small-scale or even home-based travel agency, with out of genuine love for nature and seeking fun and discovery, but not financial reward
• Promoted on websites and through social marketing channels like facebook and twitter
Findings – Ecotourism beyond tourism industry
• Benefit the overall community
– Extended stay and spending
– Positive word-of-mouth about the scenery,
travel experience, and destination image
– Training up school teachers
– Enhancing students’ awareness towards
environmental protection
– Educating the environmental-friendly citizens
– NGOs gained support to initiate ecotourism
activities or environmental protection projects
– The benefits to the environment in the long run
Findings – Value of Ecotourism
• The significant economic benefits to the tourism industry were yet to be proven,
• Other aspects should not be underestimated
– The locals gained better understanding about
the natural assets available in the territory
– Initiate upgrading of eco-guides’ standards
– Raised awareness in environment protection
– Temporarily suspension of residential projects
at the precious Marine Park - Hoi Ha Wan in
Sai Kung
Findings – To be improved
• The urban image was contradictory to the traditional concept of ecotourism destinations
• The short lifecycle of ecotourism products made it detrimental for its development
• HKTB’s promotion was delivered but a minority group of tourists were attached
Conclusion
• Some possible values for HKTB’s investment in eco-tourism promotion in Hong Kong
– Increased awareness towards the environment
and anti-pollution issues
– Expanded biodiversity as a result of the
limitation of destructive development projects
– Enhancement of environmental conservation
programmes
– Increasing popularity of recreational activities
Conclusion
• Ecotourism should be positioned to supplement the mass tourism activities for inbound tourists, particularly for repeated travelers and well-educated nature lovers
• Development of ecotourism should not be limited within the tourism industry
• The existence of such a niche tourism sector would benefit the community as a whole in a progressive pace
Conclusion• The value of ecotourism should be studied
widely from a macro perspectives
Overall Community
-Resources conservation
-Environmental
awareness
-Support on eco-projects
-Love our city
Tourism Industry
- Small business
-Alternative choice
Ecotourism
Sector
Overall
Environment/Destination- Destination image
- Positive WOM
References
• AFCD, HKSAR (2010). Ecology of Hong Kong. Assessed on Sep-20, 2010 from
http://www.hknature.net/eng/ecology/index.html
• Chan, J., Wong, A., & Mak, B. (2008). Business Potential of Ecotourism in Hong Kong: Challenges
and Opportunities. Proceedings of 5th China Tourism Forum 2008.
• Donohoe, H.M., & Needham, R.D. (2006). Ecotourism: The Evolving Contemporary Definition. Journal of
Ecotourism, 5(3), 192-210.
• Donohoe, H.M., & Needham, R.D. (2008). Internet-
based Ecotourism Marketing: Evaluating Canadian Sensitivity to Ecotourism Tenets. Journal of
References
• He, G., Chen, X., Liu, W., Bearer, S., Zhou, S., Cheng, Y., Zhang, H., Ouyang, Z., & Liu, J. (2008).
Distribution of Economic Benefits from Ecotourism: A Case Study of Wolong Nature Reserve for Giant Pandas in China. Environmental Management, 42,
1017-1025.
• Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2009). Indigenous
Ecotourism’s Role in Transforming Ecological Consciousness. Journal of Ecotourism, 8(2), 144-160.
• HKTB, HKSAR (2010). Hong Kong National Geopark. Assessed on Sep-20, 2010 from http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/ge
opark.html
References• Joly, M-C., Verner, A., & Cote, A. (2009). Urban
Geotourism: The Case of Montreal. e-Review of
Tourism Research, 7(6), 124-132.
• Law, R., & Cheung, C. (2007), Air Quality in Hong
Kong: A Study of the Perception of International Visitors. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 15(4), 390-401.
• McKercher, B., & Chan, J. (2002), Urban Ecotourism:
Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Tourism, 5(1),
77-93.
• McKercher, B., & Fu, C. (2006), Living on the Edge. Annals of Tourism Research, 33(2), 508–524.
• Moscardo, G. (2008). Sustainable Tourism Innovation: Challenging Basic Assumptions. Tourism and
References
• Ohe, Y. (2008). Impact of Rural Tourism Operated by Retiree Farmers on Multi-functionality: Evidence from
Chiba, Japan. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 13(4), 343-356.
• Pickering, C.M., Bear, R., and Hill, W. (2007). Indirect
Impacts of Nature Based Tourism and Recreation: The Association between Infrastructure and the
Diversity of Exotic Plants in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia. Journal of Ecotourism, 6(2), 146-157.
• Stem, C.J., Lassoie, J.P., Lee, D.R., and Deshler, D.J. (2003). How ‘Eco’ is Ecotourism? A Comparative Case Study of Ecotourism in Costa Rica. Journal of
Sustainable Tourism, 11(4), 322-347.
References• Silva, G., & McDill, M.E. (2004). Comparison of
Agency and Business Perspectives. Journal of
Sustainable Tourism, 12(4), 289-305.
• Stronza, A. (2007). The Economic Promise of
Ecotourism for Conservation. Journal of Ecotourism, 6(3), 210-230.
• Walpole, M.J., & Goodwin, H.J. (2000). Local Economic Impacts of Dragon Tourism in Indonesia. Annals of Tourism Research, 27(3), 559-576.
• Weaver, D. (2001a). Ecotourism. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons.
• Weaver, D. (2001b). Ecotourism as Mass Tourism: Contradiction or Reality? Cornell Hotel and
Thank you for your attentionWelcome for comments
Q&A Session