Tourism Environmental Carrying Capacity Planning Of The Geopark And Case Study

Tourism Environmental Carrying Capacity (TECC) is one of the most controversial issues in the field of tourism research, though carrying capacity is an intuitively appealing concept. This is because that the exact numerical carrying capacities are difficulty to confirm and the effects of tourism can take many forms, some of which are only loosely related to amount of users. Further more, carrying capacity definitions often provide little guidance for practical implementation. The efforts of estimating of the maximum amount of tourists would mislead the manager and operator into ignoring the more significative circumstances and the prospective of carrying capacity, to perpetuate the physical and socio-cultural environment.266 TECC related papers published after 1981 and 58 TECC planning text of geoparks since 2000 in China has been statistical and analyzed. The geopark planners in China often regard carrying capacity as an exact numerical value, but turn a blind eye to the subjectivity of the tool. And the numerical value is considered as the object of the planning. As a majority of the geoheritages are less sensitive to the amount of use, and a great number of the numerical methods of geopark TECC planning is too primitive. The utility value and authority of the planning are doubted.The concepts, processes, characteristics and disadvantages of 6 alternative frameworks of TECC, Recreation Opportunity Spectrum, Limits of Acceptable Change, Visitor Impact Management, Visitor Experience and Resource Protection, Visitor Activity Management Process, and Tourism Optimization Management Model, are discussed detailed. Then, a framework which includes contextual analysis, monitoring programme, and management response of geopark TECC planning is advanced.The Wulingshan Scenic Area, Xinglong Geopark and Alxa Desert Geopark case study indicates that, the geopark TECC management framework is not a scientific concept, but rather is a dynamic, long-term management notion. The planning of the framework is a value judgment process, especially in the new establishment geoparks and the geoparks which lack of monitoring and related study. The planning need experienced-based judgment and is different from each other geoparks. Rational and operational framework bases on the long-term monitoring and responses.