| Biodiversity conservation has been reconglized as one of the priorities in today's society by various stateholders. Botanical gardens (BGs) which have been considered as the professional agencies for conservation should play significant roles in biodiversity movement while the image perceptions for BGs from the public may influence the effects that BGs may achieve. In this study, we sampled one research botanical garden (Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG)), one city botanical garden (Hangzhou Botanical Garden (HZBG)) and a forest park (Wild Elephant Valley Park (WEVP)) which is located at the same area with XTBG The main objective of this study was to understand the public image perceptions and travel motivations upon the three sites and the main results are as follows:1. For both XTBG and HZBG, visitors were significantly support the statements that "BG is a place for germplasm preservation", "BG is a place to enhance public environmental awareness", "BG is a professional agency for biodiversity conservation". For XTBG as a research botanical garden, the statements for "XTBG is a research institution"and "XTBG is a place providing professional training" were also supported by the interviewees.2. For the differences in public image perceptions between XTBG and WEVP that both located at same area, XTBG had got significantly support from visitors for the following statements:"it is a research institution"; "it is a place for germplasm preservation"; "it is a place to enhance public environmental awareness", "it is a place for biodiversity conservation", "it is a place providing professional training" and, "it is a place providing professional information service". These suggested, botanical garden like XTBG, was indeed, not the same as a forest park from visitors' perspective.3. The ANOVA anlysis indicated, visitors'gender, age and education level had no significant influence to image perceptions at XTBG.. But the visitors'age influenced significantly on "HZBG is a place for germplasm preservation" (F= 3.539, P<0.01), "HZBG is s a place for entertainment" (F= 2.691, P<0.05). Education levels influenced significantly to "HZBG is s a place for entertainment" (F= 3.432, P < 0.05), "HZBG is a place for biodiversity conservation" (F= 3.039, P< 0.05), "HZBG is a place providing professional information service" (F= 2.776, P< 0.05). At WEVP visitors'age influenced significantly to "WEVP is a place providing professional training" (F=2.435, P< 0.05) and their education level had a significant influence to "WEVP is a place providing professional training" (F= 4.251, P< 0.01), "WEVP is a place providing professional information service" (F=6.677, P< 0.01).4. The travel motivations to XTBG were to enhance knowledge on plants (58.9%), to enjoy beautiful landscape (56.3%), to leisure and relax (54.7%), to increase experience (42.7%). The motivations to HZBG were to be leisured and relaxed and to let children access to nature. The public motivations to WEVP were to be leisure and relaxed, to enjoy beautiful landscape and to get extraordinary experiences.As a whole, two BGs in this study both get significant high recognition for the function that BGs are conservation agencies and institutes providing education for enhancing public awareness on biodiversity. This recognition may allow BGs provide significant roles in promoting biodiversity conservation. However, the travel motivations to different BGs may be different. For the objective of visiting XTBG, a research botanical garden located at remote countryside, visitors are more tend "to be educated", while for the city botanical gardens such as HZBG, visitor's motivations were more to relax and let kids access to nature. Thus, different BGs should alter their strategies and emphasis according to visitors'motivations. The study provided relevant information for better attempts for biodiversity conservation, strategy development for image management and the public services by botanical gardens in general. |
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