무등산국립공원 지정 전과 후 광주시민의 이미지 비교 분석

Comparison of Gwang-ju Citizens’ Images of Mudeungsan National Park between Pre- and Post-National Park Establishment

This study compared Gwang-ju citizens’ images of Mudeungsan National Park (MNP) between pre- and post-national establishment. Data were collected from 371 Gwang-ju citizens during October 2015 using questionnaire survey. The results showed that there were differences in images of MNP between pre- and post-national park establishment. Five image factors (i.e., ‘park managerial state’, ‘place of recreation and forest healing’, ‘historical and cultural place’, ‘touristic place’, ‘accessibility of place’) out of the six image factors extracted from 25 image items using factor analysis were positively changed. The image of ‘crowdedness of place’ factor, however, was negatively changed. Four variables such as ‘awareness of MNP establishment’, ‘park managerial state’ factor, ‘frequency of visits after MNP establishment’, and ‘gender’ influenced overall MNP image. Some practical implications were discussed from a managerial point of view.