Sustainable Development Of Tourism Based On Ecological Footprint Analysis

The quantitative assessment of sustainable tourism development is the difficult section of sustainable tourism development research, the previous evaluation methods usually have certain limitations. The study employs the new method in ecological economics -- ecological footprint analysis method to describe sustainable tourism development, which offers a new perspective to assess whether we have been "close to or far away from our goal of sustainable development of tourism".The author selects three districts of Wuyi Mountain as the research site, using ecological footprint analysis method to study its sustainable tourism development. The research shows that: The average annual tourism ecological footprint per person is 0.038804219 hm2, but the average tourism ecological capacity per person is only 0.022850405 hm2, the average tourism ecological deficit per person is 0.015953814 hm2 during 2000~2004 in Wuyi Mountain. The total tourism deficit is increasing within five years (except 2003). To meet the needs of all tourists, Wuyi Mountain has to obtain 1.7 times amount of the resources, therefore its present situation of development is "unsustainable". With data analysis, the author predict that: the tourism ecological deficit will increase and unsustainability will be enhanced, if the current economic focused development model still be pursued. Based on the present level of technology, tourism consumptive patterns, tourism protecting measures and with other conditions remaining unchanged, the annual tourist capacity being remained at the level of 1,580,000 visitors can possibly ensure the sustainable tourism development in Wuyi Mountain .In the end, the author also points out some of shortcomings of the research, and analyzes the merits and defects of the method. And the further research sections also is put forward.