The Research On Environmental Carrying Capacity For Ecotuorism

With the increasing awareness of the importance of a healthy human living environment and with the implementation of the sustainable development strategy, eco-tourism has developed rapidly in the past few years and has become a very important trend in the development of tourism. How to coordinate the relationship between the traditional tourism and the ecological environment in the development of ecotourism, how to harmonize human activities with the natural environment and how to realize the continuous use of tourism resources together with the sustainable tourism has received great attention from the academic field of tourism. We believe that a scientific definition of Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism( ECCE) and strict implementations are the keys to solving the existing problems. So far, the research on ECCE is rather limited. Most of the current research projects are focusing on forest parks, natural reserves and seaside tourist areas. Researches on ECCE in the Lijiang scenic areas is limited. Based on the theory of ECCE and the application technology, the dissertation has made a through survey study, choosing the Lijiang scenic areas as a case study and has met with fruitful success. To some extent, the study has filled the gap in this field.The main points of the dissertation are as follows:(1) Based on a comprehensive analysis of the previous researchers' study, the author gives a definition of Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism ( ECCE ) and explores its basic features.(2) The author not only analyzes the concept of Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism ( ECCE ), its features, its structures and its functions, but also studies the inter relationship between the Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism ( ECCE ) and the related theories.(3) Based on the analysis of the natural surroundings, economics and social environment of the Lijiang scenic areas, the author uses the brainstorm approach combined with the advisories of different experts. He constructs 35 indices which have five different levels for the Lijiang scenic areas ( Environmental Carrying Capacity Assessment of Ecotourism ) index System and makes a through study in respective system; Utilizing the Delphi Approach, Cluster Analysis Approach and Main Component Analysis Approach, the author presents analysis in the 35 index and selects the 12 leading factors whose accumulated contribution has reached 77.72% as a case study in the Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotorism (ECCE) in the Lijiang scenic areas.(4) By comparing the strengths and the weaknesses of the existing modules, the author adopts the complex approaches such as Layer Analysis- Weight Analysis- Fuzzy Comprehensive Assessment, in making a quantitative calculation, and verifies the experimental results with the Logistic Module .taking the Environment Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism in the Lijiang scenic areas as an example.(5) The experimental results show that the combined indices for the Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism in the Lijiang scenic areas arealready above the " slightly overloaded" state and are approaching the " overloaded" mark, but well below the heavily overloaded level. By using the Logistics Modules, the author discovered that the results are similar when calculated, using the Complex Module . This indicates that the ecotourism development in Lijiang has already passed the fastest growing period. The speed of growth is slowing down and has entered a stable stage.(6) Based on GIS technology and guided by the theory of demand, the author designed a strategic support system. Again, with the GIS technology, the author successfully developed 5 functional modules including the Index Parameter , designed for the system, ecotourism monitoring, capacity model bank ,data management and map manipulation . An integrated visual platform is finally realized with data management, module calculation , problem -analysis.Through the study of theory , the practice result shows that the strategic support system based on GIS Technology has provided a comprehensive, interrelated and coherent problem-solving environment which has helped the problem solving, data-management, model calculation, and made them more effective and more powerful. Based on the research result mentioned above, focusing on the restricted factors of Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism ( ECCE ) in the Lijiang scenic areas, the author proposes a series of measures and strategies to optimize the Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism (ECCE).The innovations of the research are summed as follows:(1) Giving a definition to Environmental Carrying Capacity of Ecotourism, which has reflects the true feature of ecotourism. At the same time, the theory of Niche, the theory of Eco-footprint, the theory of Logistics Growth , etc. are applied in the research, thus, forming the conceptual frame for the Environmental Carrying Capacity Assessment of Ecotourism ( ECCE ) , which expands the basic theory in the study of Environmental Carrying Capacity research.(2) Utilizing the constructing theory in the Environmental Carrying Capacity Index System of Ecotourism, it is the first time the author has constructed the EECC in the Lijiang scenic areas.(3) By comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the current assessment module in this area, the author used different approaches, such as AHP Approach, Fuzzy Mathematics Approach , Weight Approach , etc. to optimize the comprehensive assessment. The author proposed " Layer Analysis-Weight Assessment Module and has applied these methods to the research and verified the research result by using Logistics Module which has helped to make the research more meaningful.(4) It is the first time the author has used the Complex Module to conduct the actual research on EECC and has discovered 4 bottleneck factors which restricted EECC. They are: Time Distribution of the Amount of Runoff, Ineffective Runoff, Tour-type Influence and the Average GDP.(5) Supported by GIS technology, the author constructed a strategy which has helped the study of data-management, module calculation , problem solving in EECC more enhanced and more improved and created a visual integrated environment.