• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.1451-1461
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study is to describe how nature-based ecotourism motivation of ecotourists influences destination image and satisfaction of ecotourists. In order to achieve the above purposes, the study carried out a literature study and an empirical analysis. Based on the obtained data through the literature study, the study designed a model for the empirical study. The results of this study are as follows. First, returns to nature, knowledge. fitness and escape as ecotourism motivation of ecotourist had a positive effect on each ecotourism destination image, such as cognitive and affective image. However, effect of novelty on cognitive image for destination had not significant results. Second, ecotourism destination image, such as cognitive and affective image, had a positive effect on ecotourism satisfaction of ecotourists. The results of the article provide implications for strategies for promoting ecotourism destination and suggest some guidelines for the eco-education of tourists.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.43-52
• /
• 2012

With the slowdown in environmental issues and the change of environmental consciousness, ecotourism is being discussed in various social fields. Ecotourism is being popularized for environmental protection, and now it is becoming a mainstream product from one of mass tourism. Ecotourism's emphasis on sustainable development in the tourism destination's society, economy, and environment, through ecotourism study and education, enable people to understand the core value of the ecological environment. 2011 was nominated as "the Year of World Forest" by the UN. In the recent years, forests are becoming increasingly important with their own values and functions in environment, economy, society, and culture. In particular, the global environmental issues caused by climate change are becoming an international agenda. Forests are the only effective solution for the carbon dioxide that causes global warming. Moreover, forests constitute a major part of ecotourism, and are now most used by ecotourists. For example, Korea, wherein 60% of the land is forest, attracts ecotourists. With the increasing interests in environment, the number of tourists visiting the ecosystem forest, which is highly valued for its conservation, is increasing significantly every year and is receiving considerable attention from the government. However, poor facilities in the forest ecotourism sites and improper market strategies are the reasons for the poor running of these sites. Furthermore, tourists' environmental awareness affects ecology environmental pollution or the optimization of forest ecotourism. In order to verify the relationships among tourist attractiveness, environmental consciousness, charm degrees of the attractions, and attitudes after tours, we established some scales based on existing research achievement. Then, using these scales, the researcher completed the questionnaire survey. From December 20, 2010 to February 20, 2011, after conducting surveys for 12 weeks, we finally obtained 582 valid questionnaires, from a total of 700 questionnaires, that could be used in statistical analysis. First, for the method of research and analysis, the researcher initially applied the Cronbach's (Alpha) for verifying the reliability, and subsequently applied the Exploratory factor analysis for verifying the validity. Second, in order to analyze the demographics, the researcher makes use of the Frequency analysis for the AMOS, measurement model, structural equation model computing, and also utilizes construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity. Third, for the analysis of the ecotourists' environmental consciousness, impacts on tourist attractiveness, charm degrees of the attractions, and attitudes after the tour, the researcher uses AMOS 19, with the path analysis and equation of structure. After the research, researchers found that high awareness of natural protection lead to high tourist motivation and satisfaction and more positive attitude after the tour. Moreover, this research shows the psychological and behavioral reactions of the ecotourists to the ecotourist development. Accordingly, environmental consciousness does not affect the tourist attractiveness that has been interpreted as significant. Furthermore, people should focus on the change of natural protection consciousness and psychological reaction of ecotourists while ensuring the sustainable development of ecotourists and developing some ecotourist programs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.100 no.3
• /
• pp.382-391
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to understand Jirisan-round Trail trekkers' socioeconomic and travel characteristics, travel motivations, and travel attitudes. On-site and email surveys were carried out from July to November of 2008 and a total of 1,026 individuals' data were analyzed. Survey results showed that the percentages of middle age users, highly educated, and professionals/managers were relatively higher among trekkers of Jirisan-round Trail. And they traveled with a small group, collected destination-related information before traveling, and showed a high level of satisfaction. Especially they had not only strong motivations for admiring, understanding, and experiencing the nature but also positive travel attitudes. Based on the results of a cluster analysis, the trekkers of Jirisan-round Trail were divided into two groups, ecotourists and nature tourists. The ecotourists group showed relatively enthusiastic participation, more nature-oriented and culturally sensitive travel attitudes, and a higher satisfaction. The results would be used for establishing effective management strategies for building environmentally and socially responsible trekking culture.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.177-186
• /
• 2009

The changes in the worldwide paradigm of the sustainable development have started to be applied in the entire industry fields, and they come out as the sustainable tourism in the field of tourism. And the ecotourism has emerged as a practical method to meet the needs of the actual practice and the intellectual system for the sustainable tourism. In the type of tourists based on tourist attitude, 82.3% has the environment-friendly tourist attitude as a potential ecological tourist or an ecological tourist. In addition, there are the potentials of increase in ecological tourists as well as the revitalization of ecological tourism. First, the ecological tourists are mostly the well-educated and married professional workers at 40, housewives, and people earning a high income. Next, the potential ecological tourists are mainly the well-educated and married professional workers at 30, workers in the service industry, and middle-class citizens. Lastly, the general tourists are the students at 20 who are single, earn a low income, and has low level of education. This study presents useful data to the tourist business in terms of the development, operation and management of sustainable ecological tourism.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.156-162
• /
• 1998

The disposition of ecotourism was surveyed form October 5 to 22 in 1996. 600 persons were participated from 5 big cities including Seoul in Korea. Of those individuals, 48% were males, 52% were females, 50％ of respondents reported that they had gone as far as college, and 38% were 20 years of age. Most percentage of respondents (72%) were not satisfied from their leisure behavior in their daily life, 60% of respondents had a chance to visit outdoor recreation areas per month. The most respondents(75%) didn't hear the concept of ecotourism, but they recognized necessity of the ecotourism development. There was a tendency in the sample for high disposition of ecotourism subjects to be more likely to intend to interest in environmental problems, and participate to environment movement. They were very interested in ecotourism. The differences existed in ecotourists' dispositions of ecotourism, according to their scio-economic characteristics. The potentional ecotourists' intentions of visiting eco-park had strong relationships with the disposition of ecotourism.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.83-101
• /
• 2023

This study aims to examine the moderating effects of environmental friendly attitudes between perceived value and loyalty in ecotourists. A total of 210 valid questionnaires were collected from visitors to Saemangeum and Sihwaho during 7 days. The functional value, social value, and emotional value were identified as dimensions of perceived value from factor analysis. Results from regression analysis revealed that emotional value and social value positively influenced loyalty. Moreover, environmental friendly attitudes were found to moderate the relationship between loyalty and emotional and social values. The findings suggest that policy makers and practitioners consider environmental friendly attitude and perceived values in making ecotourism programs to sustain ecotourism destinations.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.59-73
• /
• 2001

This thesis aims to explore the effects of ecotourism in New Zealand as a foreign area study and investigate spatial implications of ecotourism in geographical context. In addition, this research pursuit to provide effective regional policies for ecotourism in Korea. To achieve the objectives this research carried out literature review before taking field survey in New Zealand. The survey was undertaken for three times in New Zealand. Using the materials such as data collection and interviews, the effects of the ecotourism were investigated. The effects of the ecotourism in New Zealand not only have presented environmental conservation and educational feedbacks to the ecotourists, but also contributed to development of regional economy. In addition, the collaboration of the governmental policies has supported the ecotour environments and active involvement of residents that resulted the effects of the ecotourism in New Zealand. Therefore, the ecotour industry has been able to foster stable economic development in long-term and provide educational opportunities for ecotourists to recap environmental importance. These benefits that the ecotour resources provide have contributed to accomplish the main purposes of the tour industry in New Zealand where natural environment has been identified as the mostly highest priority to be preserved for their tour industry. These effects have led aggressive activities of the ecotour development of central and local governments and local residents The ecotourism in Korea has not still achieved the real benefits which meet environmental conservation, regional economic advantages and educational effects. To obtain the effects, therefore, it needs close collaboration with governmental activities and close involvement of local residents. For this, the case studies of New Zealand present a good examples of how to success the ecotour as a set of tour industrial resource.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 2016

From 1970, the concept of ecotourism is introduced, lots of studies in ecotourism appeared. Review these studies are necessary for future ecotourism studies. Some review studies on ecotourism are existed. However, these approach also limitation of subjectivities and some sorts of papers has not been reviewed. This study use keyword network analysis which is used as big data analysis to overcome the limitation. Foreign 2455 studies and domestic 163 studies which have ecotoursim in keywords, are analyzed for reviewing. As a result, 3 cluster('Sustainable tourism development', 'Ecological conservation', 'Ecotourist analysis' appeared, in ecotourism studies. In addition, this cluster has deep relationship with region. 'Sustainable tourism development' is related to Eurasia, Australia, Europe. 'Ecological conservation' is related to Africa. 'Ecotourism analysis' is related to North America. Especially 'Resident participation', 'Stakeholder' are appeared many times in Asia region. These results show that ecotourism studies are interpreted in regional contexts. It means that although only one word 'ecotourism' is used in different contexts, regional approach are needed for exact use. In Korea, the keywords are focused on ecotourists and developments. As Korea has lots of ecotour village, resident participation studies have to be supplemented.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.155-172
• /
• 2022

Ecotourism as a alternative tourism destination has to adapt to current market mechanisms, which is becoming extremely competitive and which are dominated by communication and promotion strategies and techniques. We need to know the causative factors and influences by which tourists are motivated to become included in various market segments. The primary purpose of this study is to segment and profile the motivations of ecotourist, so as to enable a better understanding of ecotourism in Korea. A self-administered survey was collected from 200 tourists in the study area. A factor-clustering method identified four distinct segments: want-it-all seeker, passive seeker, aesthetic seeker, value sharing seeker. We conclude by considering the relevant of our findings to ongoing discussions of ecotourists' market segmentation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.223-234
• /
• 2007

The study, executed with Hallasan National Park, which deserves to be a typical ecotourism destination, aims to provide basic information on park management for early establishment of ecotourism in a national park by assessing its visitors' behavior and satisfaction with a nature trail established as a series of an environmental interpretation program. The questionnaire survey was conducted at Eorimok Square in the weekday and on the weekend for two months of August and September in 2006, and finally 144 valid samples were used for the analysis. As a result of the research, it revealed that the demographic characteristics of the visitors to Hallasan National Park tended to coincide with those of the visitors to other national parks In Korea. On the whole, it showed their low recognition level of nature trails built up in national parks and less experience in using them. However, the visitors' satisfaction level and intention of re-visit, and recommendation to others were comparatively higher after actually using the nature trail at the site of Hallasan National Park, which hints at the possibility of national parks' much weightier role as the ground for ecology education and the functional expansion of the environmental interpretation-related facilities and programs. As for the attributes having effects on users' satisfaction with a nature trail, substantial aspects such as accessibility, safety, uniqueness and interest in environmental interpretation, and educational quality as well as physical facility management were revealed to have equal effects on users' satisfaction level, so there still remain a lot of pending issues over the reality of national parks in the initial stage of ecotourism staying at the level of the introduction and establishment of the facilities for environmental interpretation. This research had surveyed visitors to Hallasan National Park and limited to the nature trail only. For more systematic and practical ecological management of a national park, the in-depth understanding of the attributes affecting satisfaction of ecotourists, including nature trails and other environmental interpretation programs, and more sophisticated measuring tools are needed.