Research On Sustainable Development Of Ecotourism And Tourism Industry In China

Now tourism has leapt to the most promising new industry worldwide. With our increasing economic strength and rising international status, China has become much more an attraction to tourists around the world. In this situation, the government, employees of the tourism industry, tourists and researchers are all responsible to protect tourism resources, especially ecotourism resources, for rational exploitation and utilization of ecological resources and the healthy development of ecotourism. When contributing to modern economic development, we should also guarantee an equal condition for the development of later generations.In 1965, the American scholar, Hetzer, put forward the concept of ecological tourism, which is universally seen as the original expression of ecotourism. In 1983, the ecological tourism characteristics consultant of IUCN, Ceballos-Lascurain, proposed the terminology of"ecotourism", which roused broad attention of international tourism organizations and the academic community. Since the concept's entry into China in the 1980s, it has been successively studied and practiced by a batch of domestic scientific research institutions, and a series of research achievements and viewpoints have been made. Our country designated the theme of the 1999 Tourism Marketing as"the Year of Ecotourism"; the year 2002 was declared as"the International Year of Tourism"by the UN. Ecotourism has gradually developed into the fastest growing section of tourism industry.The concept of ecotourism first originated from green tourism or natural tourism and, with the development of tourism and the increasing environmental awareness, gradually replaced the other two and integrated the spirit of sustainable development. Although the concept of ecotourism has been widely applied these years, an accurate definition of it is still not reached and is under heated discussion. In summary, there are several viewpoints defining ecotourism as follows: First, the sustainable-development-oriented ecotourism, which is a tourism development pattern. It combines tourism development, community development and environmental protection together, and only regards the tourism that both conserves resources and promotes the community economy as ecotourism. Second, the market-and-consumption-oriented ecotourism, which promotes ecotourism to the market as a tourism product, offering the tourists hardly or rarely blemished natural or cultural tourism environment. This kind of tourism activity, including natural, cultural, scientific and expeditionary tourism, compared with ordinary forms, affects the environment less and enhances the environmental awareness of the tourists. Third, the conduct-norms-oriented ecotourism, which emphasizes the norms of conduct and environmental values of the tourists and local residents. It builds the environmental awareness and moralities of the tourists and residents through tourism activities and tourism education. In my opinion, the above definitions of ecotourism have something in common on some main points, though all the views are not the same: Firstly, ecotourism boasts a strong sense of environmental protection. Compared with traditional tourism pattern, ecotourism puts great efforts in carrying out relevant measures to protect tourism resources and the environment. It minimizes the resource consumption of the tourism destinations to maximize sustainable tourism. That's why it is regarded as a tourism form of strong environmental awareness. Secondly, ecotourism is a tourism form based on the resources of natural environment and cultural environment. Under the influence and guidance of ecology, it stresses a harmonious relationship between human and nature, and human and environment, striving to build an ecosystem of coexistence. Thirdly, ecotourism is a tourism pattern that promotes the development of the tourism destination's economy, society and environment all at the same time, pursuing the maximum of economic, social and ecological benefit and the sustainable development of tourism. Theoretically, this paper, based on relevant knowledge of sustainabledevelopment theory, tourism science, ecology, economics and other disciplines, starts with the emergence of the concept, concentrates on the analysis of the present problems, contradictions and causes in the process of the ecotourism development in our country, and puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to solve the problems. It offers helpful references about the exploitation, operation and management to the government and operators involved in ecotourism. Analytically, this paper tries to find out the crucial problem restricting ecotourism's practical development by means of in-depth and meticulous study of the existing problems in the development of our country.Combining with the practical need of the ecotourism sustainable development in our country, this paper makes a comprehensive analysis of the concept of sustainable development based on solutions to the problems of ecotourism both home and abroad. The viewpoint is to make efforts in scientific planning and exploiting of ecotourism resources and to carry out the planning work under proper environmental thoughts; to further increase the quality of ecotourism and the ecological environment relying on the improvement and innovation of science and technology; to establish and improve the management system suitable for the ecotourism development of our country and, learning from the success of other countries, to rationally adjust the relationships of existing administrative management, industrial management and ecological management on the principles of rational setting and scientific management, and to set up coordinating bodies and general management organizations for ecotourism exploitation and management; to constantly complete related laws and regulations under the guidance of the sustainable development theory of tourism; to enhance the propaganda and education of ecotourism; and to strengthen regional and international cooperation, especially the cooperation with western developed countries in related respects.Facing the competitions of the 21st century, we are sure to encounter various problems and challenges in the process of the sustainable development of ecotourism. But as long as we start from the strategic perspective of sustainable development, update the idea, reform the system, innovate the mechanism, improve the legal system and promote the publicity, we'll settle the problems and contradictions step by step, and realize the sustainable development of ecotourism, thus securing the continuous and healthy development of our society and economy.