| 2018 marks the first year that Mingyue Mountain Wentang Hot Springs Resort in Yichun City of Jiangxi Province,has been listed in the National Resorts thanks to its ample and quality spring resources.However,problems can still be spotted in the property rights of its hot springs which play a role in constraining the Resort’s further expansion.Therefore,a necessity to study and analyze the system of property rights in Mingyue Mountain Hot Spring tourism becomes imperative.Guided by the Property Right Theory and Institutional Hierarchy Theory,efforts to analyze will focus on governing entities and distribution mechanisms with a hierarchy conceptual model for hot spring property right as its tool as well as a database garnered by the author,through field research and collection of relevant materials.The system governing the hot springs in this resort became government-monopoly as soon as The Regulations on the Protection of Wengtang Geothermal Water Resources in Yichun City was put in place,evidenced by: the government of Yichun City holds the rights to develop,use,plan and manage the hot springs at Mingyue Mountain;Mingyue Mountain Hot Spring Scenic Spot Management Committee is managed as a part of the municipal government;the city government was getting to hold the right to use most of the hot springs here by setting up Wentang Water and Electricity Development Company;the usufruct of Jiangxi Yichun Hot Spring Sanatorium for workers and Shanshui Hot Spring Sanatorium launched by the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Jiangxi Province has not been reclaimed.They still have independent mining rights but only for their use;after acquiring the usufruct,Wentang Water and Electricity Development Company conducted a round of primary distribution,followed by another round of distribution based on price competition on the market.Reasons why the government takes control of springs at Mingyue Mountain: excessive consumption and a severe waste of hot spring resources,impeded tourism due to well water shortage,growing competition in hot-spring tourism,lessons learned from the success of Huitang Hot Spring Resort,and a reform pilot of water right launched in Jiangxi.Problems have been identified when the thesis analyzes how to govern entities:different management systems from three different parallel institutions,three certificates of mining rights adding much difficulty to distributing mining quota,and unbalanced water mining and use.Solutions may include integrating three mining certificates into one,scientifically deciding on mining quota,distributing hot springs by economic benefits,and improving the law system.Problems also stand out when the thesis takes insights into the distribution mechanism:low development and utilization of hot springs,unreasonable consuming prices,untransparent usufruct transfer,and less competition.Solutions may include efforts to develop the market for the usufruct transfer of hot springs,support evaluation institutions,and improve relative laws and regulations.In addition,to boost hot-spring tourism,work should be done to make full use of hot springs and develop more diverse activities for tourists.Standing at the core of hot-spring tourism,hot springs themselves should be explored,used,and protected with the support of robust laws and regulations.For best practice,the system governing the property rights of hot springs should be formulated based on local conditions.In this way,relentless driving forces will move hot-spring tourism forward. |
