The Core Competitiveness Of Tourist Income-based Geological Park And Its Evaluation

Since the late 1990s, with the development of knowledge economy in the world, tourism also steps into a new era of knowledgeable development. Almost at the same time, geoparks emerged in this context and its development in China has passed for 10 years. However, the present situation of geopark tourism is that characteristics of geoparks is not outstanding and accordingly, the tourists' low cognition of the geo-features of geoparks. The numbers and types of geoparks have all increased with increasingly fierce competition. The key reason for this is the inadequate understanding of essential attributes and core competitiveness of geoparks. And the research of Tourism Earthscience and geoparks, which theoretically guide the development and management of geoparks, bent itself to the application of operation in recent years. Many important theoretical problems were not examined and explored deeply, especially the lack of empirical study about the core competitiveness of geoparks and competition research at tourist level. Therefore, study on core competence of geoparks not only has practical significance, but also possesses theoretical value.On the other hand, competitiveness has been one of the hotspots in the tourism research since the 1990s. At present, the domestic and foreign research hotspots on it gradually turn to customer perceptive value. A relationship flow is generally agreed, namely, there exists "tourists quality→perceived value→tourist satisfaction/complain→tourists loyalty→behavioral intention→market advantage" such a relationship response chain. The basic relations in the chain had been confirming by researches, satisfaction, especially recommendation willingness always being used to directly compare competence of tourist attraction. However, current research above-mentioned is the study of total factors and overall competitiveness of tourism, not yet involving core competitiveness, the new direction of tourism research and management. On the basis of this study the paper, considering the professional particularity of geoparks, employing the notion of tourist benefit in geopark as a red line and criterion put forward by the author for the very purpose, analyzes the relationship between tourist benefit and competitiveness, provides the concept of core competitiveness based on tourist benefit, deconstruct the structure of core competence based on the impact factors of tourist benefit, and evaluates core competence of three geoparks by integrating impact factors and results of tourist benefit. Tourists benefit is put forward relative to "tourism revenue". It refers to the spirit benefit that tourist obtains from the core resources of scenic areas.Normative and systematic analysis approach, model method, literature analysis and contrast analytic methods, questionnaire survey method, empirical analysis and case study etc. are the methods which the paper applys. Empirical studies select three geoparks:Mount Cuihua, Mount Yuntai, Hukou Fall. Questionnaire survey of tourist benefit, geoparks materials investigation and expert consultation are carried out in 2009 summer. In each geopark,300 questionnaires were distributed, and the problems were strictly restricted within the scope of geoparks to eliminate the influencing factors outside at all possible. Data analysis is made by SPSS and the current structure equation model method. Research contents include:1.Explore the particularity of the tourism competition and determine the research orientations of tone.2. Study the relationship between tourist benefit and core competitiveness. Define the concept of tourist benefit and examine the relation of tourist benefit and visitors' satisfaction to geoparks. Provide the concept of core competence based on the significance of tourist benefit.3. Substaintial properties and core value system of geoparks. Study genitic type, attribute features, and core value system of geoparks and their relation with tourist benefit, which can act as another point of the core competitiveness study of geoparks.4. Using SEM model validate core influence of tourists benefit in the market.5. Based on the forming process of tourist benefit deconstruct factors system of core competitiveness in geoparks. Evaluate core competitiveness of three geoparks based on the formation factors and results of tourist benefit.6. Based on improving tourist benefit and then gaining market analyse the strategy and measures to enhance core competitiveness of geoparks.The main conclusions of this thesis are following: 1. Tourist benefit is the core concern and the ultimate goal of tourists'tour in geoparks and all other scenic areas. Only when the tourists'core interests——tourist benefit be assured effectively, will it be possible to get high satisfaction and then the higher loyalty from the tourists, and this also amounts to getting core competence for geoparks.2. The operation results of SEM model in all the three geoparks show that tourists benefit is the core factor that affects tourist satisfaction, then recommendations, more important than the function of sustainment system composed by service, infrastructure, environment etc.. Therefore, from operational perspective, tourist benefit, as the objective index of core competence of geoparks, can be used to compare core competence of tourist attractions directly and becomes the core and pointer to operate competence by geoparks.3. Therefore, the core competence of geoparks is the factors and the abilities of geoparks that can provide tourists directly with special benefit which then influence tourists. Based on this definition and concept, the core competitiveness of geoparks can be deconstructed as:essential attributes of resources, innovation factors, interpretive system, scientific management etc..4. Attribute characteristics and the core value associated therewith are the starting point and kernel of core competence for geoparks.5. Results of core competitiveness evaluation based on tourist benefit show that Yuntai Geopark as famous one is weaker in the core competitiveness, inferior to the counterpart of Cuihua Geopark, which is verified by four methods. As a geopark, its own jobs were done not well. Therefore, it should be appraised appropriately.6. To improve core competitiveness of geoparks attribute characteristics and core value should be as starting point and tourist benefit as the target.In the following aspects, this paper attempts to make innovations:1. Of the starting point about core competitiveness research, this paper puts forward the concept of tourist benefit, and regards it as the core interests, the ultimate pursuit of tourists and the essence of tourism.2. Through the investigation demonstration, by SEM model methods validate the core influence of tourists benefit to satisfaction and then to recommendations, and regard tourist benefit as the objective index of core competence of geoparks.3. Based on the tourist benefit puts forward the concept of core competence and a deconstruction method of its factors. Build a factors system of core competitiveness (i.e. factors system of inducing tourist benefit). Provide and validate an evaluation system of core competitiveness for geoparks.Due to the fuzziness of core competitiveness, it is necessary to study constantly in future so that this problem can be explored more deeply and clearly.