Summary: | 碩士 === 逢甲大學 === 景觀與遊憩研究所 === 94 === This study was primarily to explore the social feasibility of the potential market for ecotourism development in the artificial wetlands derived from the abandoned fishery ponds at Hukou area in Yunlin County. The purposes of this research were to investigate the relationships among these study variables included: respondents’ social economic backgrounds, participation willingness, willingness to pay for the ecotourism, ecotourism perceptions and participation motivations. The theoretical basis of this study could be supported by the tests of these relationships.
Contingent valuation method was applied at the presumed ecotourism market at Hukou area. The respondents this study were the residents who live in Taichung city, Changhua city, Yunlin county and Chiayi city. The questionnaire survey was conducted from April 30 to May 28, 2006. There were 611 valid samples collected in this study by means of internet survey and on-site survey.
The major results of this study were shown as followings:
1. For five presumed activities offered by this study, above 80% of respondents expressed their willingness to participate and most of them were willing to pay certain amount of money for their trips. It has shown that the potential market existed in terms of the social feasibility analysis.
2. In terms of social economic backgrounds, only the residential areas had significant influences on their willingness to stay overnight in the presumed ecotourism area. Besides, different residential areas and average monthly income had significant influences on their willingness to pay for their ecotourism.
3. For those who were willing to participate in ecotourism had significant higher levels of agreement in perceptions of ecotourism and participation motivations than those who were not.
4. The relationship between respondents’ willingness to pay for ecotourism and their perceptions of ecotourism was not significant. In addition, the relationship between respondents’ willingness to pay for their ecotourism and participation motivations was significant but relatively low. It may indicate that to reinforce participation motivation is more important than to reinforce perceptions in the influence of their willingness to pay for their ecotourism.
According to the study results, some suggestions for the future planning and management of the ecotourism development at Hukou area were presented for references.
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