해양생태관광 기반 지역개발 전략에 대한 관광객 인식 분석

Tourist’s Perception on the Marine Ecotourism Based Community Development Strategies - Case Study of the Yeoja-bay Ecotourism Plan in Yeosu -

The study aims to suggest some implications for the development strategies based on marine ecotourism for the Yeoja-bay in Yeosu. This study identified some important attributes that should be considered to promote ecotourism and explored the relationship among tourists’ socio-psychological variables of ecotourism. Tourists in the Bay Yeoja-bay randomly selected were asked to complete questionnaire. Tourists’ perceptions on the importance of industrial attributes of ecotourism in the bay have positive impacts on their empathy with the development based on ecotourism in the bay when the relation between the perceptions and the empathy is fully mediated by tourists’ perception of the importance of local attributes of ecotourism in the bay. The findings show that the development of industrial infrastructure and tourism resource, the establishment of an organization consisting of local residents, and income creation should be guaranteed for successful marine ecotourism in the bay. Furthermore, it is important to consider all interested parties of the region when establishing local development strategies based on ecotourism.