• 期刊

Visitor Perception of Soundscapes in Hong Kong urban parks

The study evaluates soundscape perception and preferences among visitors to three urban parks in Hong Kong, China. Aiming to demonstrate the importance of positive soundscapes within urban sustainability, the authors touch upon noise control, parks design and the effects of sound on human health. In order to gather the necessary data for this research, fieldwork in the urban parks comprised park user and manager interviews, soundwalks and sound level measurements. These methods led to the creation of a sound inventory detailing the sound sources and other important factors within the soundscape. The interviews gauged park user perceptions and preferences such as sensitivity to urban noise and sound source valuation. Park managers were interviewed to gain a management perspective of soundscapes and park design. The data indicates that urban parks are acoustic refuges within the city that provide more natural sounds than the surrounding built-up environment. Park users prefer natural sounds (biophony and geophony) to man-made sounds (anthrophony) and generally felt that park soundscapes were positive and not too noisy. Visitors also stressed the desire for more parks in Hong Kong as well as more quiet areas in the parks. It is the authors' belief that both new and existing parks should integrate positive sound sources and tranquillity into their designs, therein contributing to better living conditions in the city.

• 期刊

Ecotourism in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam: Theory and Practice

Ecotourism has experienced rapid growth because of global concerns regarding sustainability. However, significant differences are observed between the theory and practice of ecotourism management, especially in Southeast Asian countries. This study reviews the management of ecotourism in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam by comparing the theoretical definition with the practical operations in each country. The goal of this study is to investigate the cause of the gap between the theoretical definition and the practical operation of ecotourism. This study also addresses critical issues regarding national ecotourism policy and the practical implementation of ecotourism-based products in each country. This study would be of interest to national policymakers and researchers to study, plan, and improve their ecotourism development strategies. The results suggest that the main reason for the gap in the ecotourism operations of these countries is the lack of communication and cooperation between policymakers and other tourism stakeholders. The government is significant in leading ecotourism development, and an official and national ecotourism strategy is required in planning and operating ecotourism. However, consistency in policy and the attitude of the government will increase the competitive power of ecotourism. The assistance of non-government organizations is not a long-term strategy for ecotourism development, and less-developed countries like Vietnam and Cambodia should attempt to use the resources of its administrative government system, similar to the Tambon Administrative Organization of Thailand, to develop a suitable policy for ecotourism management in the long-term.

• 期刊

Study on the Relevance between Tourism Environmental Carrying Capacity and Tourism Eco-efficiency for Coastal Areas in China

The purpose of this study is to find out the dynamic relevance between tourism environmental carrying capacity and tourism eco-efficiency by measurement and regression model and then provide instruction of tourism sustainable development. In order to achieve this aim, the article describes that how to evaluate the level of tourism environmental carrying capacity through building up the assessment system and applying Synthesized Index Model, and how to measure tourism eco-efficiency with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in coastal areas in China from 2001 to 2012, the data shows that there is an upward trend of tourism environmental carrying capacity and tourism eco-efficiency in coastal areas in China during the study. Furthermore, it defines vector auto-regression model and impulse response function, it concludes that there is an interaction effect between tourism environmental carrying capacity and tourism eco-efficiency. This interrelation indicates that tourism eco-efficiency is able to enhance tourism environmental carrying capacity to a certain extent, whereas, tourism environmental carrying capacity has a more significant influence on tourism eco-efficiency, which directly promotes tourism sustainable development. In a word, the paper studies the concept, methodology and relationship between tourism environmental carrying capacity and tourism eco-efficiency by using assessment and measurement models and includes a set of suggested solutions for determining, controlling and increasing tourism eco-efficiency.

• 期刊

Nature Tourism in Hong Kong for the Mainland Chinese Market: A Study of Preference and Perception

This paper seeks to explore the development potential of nature tourism among Mainland Chinese citizens with regard to their interest, preference and perception of natural attributes in Hong Kong. The results of an empirical study of a sample of mainland citizens (n=430) show that they exert certain degree of interest in participating in nature tourism in Hong Kong. Such interest in nature in Hong Kong demonstrates a major core cluster across the central and eastern provinces of China, while distance-decay pattern is absent. These potential nature tourists prefer going to places in association with sea views, and engaging in photo-taking, non-commercial activities and less artificial elements. The nature tourism attributes form two components among the respondents, which are related to aspects of education needs and relaxation, and nature-oriented and convenience. These aspects also imply a specific market potential for ecotourism development in Hong Kong.