本研究旨在探討平溪線鐵路轉型觀光旅遊發展的形塑過程與內涵,關注於平溪線旅遊的觀光凝視形成之背景脈絡與人為建構因素,以及旅遊中符號的使用和展現。研究方法採用對於旅遊業相關生產者的深度訪談、大眾化形式的旅遊文本分析、與田野觀察以檢視景點面貌與旅遊者行動。 研究發現,社會背景轉變、旅遊業相關生產者積極轉型,加上官方政策的施行和配合,並且以媒介做為中介,為平溪線發展觀光旅遊的主要轉型因素,地方人士的社區營造成果和魅力商圈組織,為近幾年地方上的主要影響力量;與平溪線鐵路轉型發展觀光旅遊之初期相較,現今仰賴符號的使用現象日趨明顯,媒介促使景點增添符號意義,並且旅遊者在旅遊歷程中收集符號的行動似乎也成為旅遊實踐中的一種習慣;而對於凝視對象來說,無論是歷史背景或自然環境等資源條件,皆需要透過人為的指引,亦確實離不開社會建構的特性。
This thesis intends to probe into the transition to the tourism development of railway in Pingsi Line. The main purpose of this study focuses on the construction of the tourist gaze on social background and factors about human, and the usage and presenting of signs in tourism. There are three research methods in the study, including in-depth interview of the relevant producers to tourist industry, text analysis of popular form tourism books, and field observation of the sights appearance and tourists’ behaviors in the tourism space. The conclusion of this research is induced as follows: 1.The changed social background, the relevant producers of tourist industry make the transition actively, official policy put into operation and cooperation of local people, in addition, media as the intermediary, are the main transition factors of tourism development in Pingsi Line. 2.Comparing with the periods of tourism transition in Pinsi Line, the appearance of the usage of signs is becoming obvious. And tourists involve in the collection through signs as a tourism practice seem prevalent. 3.About the gazee of tourist gaze, no matter such tourism resource conditions as historical background or the natural environment, etc., all need point out by people. And this will never departs from the characteristic of social construction.