How to develop ecotourism

Ecotourism, as the name suggests, is to travel to places with excellent ecological environment and the highest air quality, and such areas are definitely natural reserves. Therefore, to develop eco-tourism, nature reserves have unique natural resources and advantages. So how can protected areas develop ecotourism effectively and scientifically? The first task of the protected area is to have a comprehensive understanding of ecotourism, including social needs and international trends. Now let’s discuss and analyze my personal views from the following aspects.

1 International trends in ecotourism development.

With the continuous development and progress of human civilization, human living standards and requirements for quality of life are also constantly improving, pursuing return to nature, and relying on excellent ecological environment for complex viewing and vacation resorts. Leisure and special tourism have led to the continuous transformation and upgrading of the world's eco-tourism industry market demand. Eco-tourism, with forest tourism as the main form, has developed rapidly in various countries around the world, with the number of tourists increasing at an annual rate of 30%, making it the fastest growing tourism industry. Some, such as Kenya, Zambia, Taiwan, Bhutan, Japan, etc. However, compared with the booming mass tourism, our province's naturally protected forest eco-tourism resources have almost remained in a "quiet purdah" state. The relevant person in charge of the National Tourism Administration said that forest tourism has become a "sunrise industry" with vitality and hope due to its good comprehensive benefits and sustainable development characteristics.

2 Eco-tourism has huge development potential and market economic benefits.

In September 1982, my country established its first national forest park, the Hunan Zhangjiajie National Nature Reserve, marking the beginning of forest tourism in my country's nature reserves. By the end of the last century, there were 953 nature reserves and forest parks of various types in my country, with a total operating area of ??8.5 million hectares, accounting for 0.85% of the country’s land area, including 306 national forest parks. From 1994 to 1998, the average annual growth rate of tourists received by forest parks was more than 15%, and the average annual number of tourists reached 50 million, accounting for more than 10% of the total number of domestic tourists in the same period. The total number of tourists received by forest parks nationwide reached 350 million. The direct income of the park is more than 260 million yuan, and the comprehensive social tourism income exceeds 15 billion yuan. Nearly 120,000 farmers have relied on the forest park and embarked on the road to get rid of poverty through engaging in forest eco-tourism. In 1999, the direct tourism revenue of national forest parks exceeded 500 million yuan. As far as the Nanling National Nature Reserve in our province is concerned, its development has gone from the original survival model of mainly relying on deforestation resources to the development model of using water resources to develop small hydropower. Now it has begun to adopt a scientific outlook on development. Continue to effectively utilize forest resources and embark on a scientific development model of eco-tourism, enabling people in the community to gradually get rid of poverty and become rich. Therefore, for higher-level national management agencies, the development of eco-tourism is a scientific way to help farmers in mountainous areas get rid of poverty and become rich.

3 Protected areas develop ecotourism by citing their own natural advantages.

The South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve is the most ideal place in the province to study butterflies, dragonflies, moths and other insects and wild animals because it has hot and cold, humid and drought, limestone and dense forests. , low-lying plains and mountains, as well as changeable plant communities and distinct seasonal changes, make the natural resources here rich and colorful.

3.1 Natural resources. The South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve has a humid subtropical monsoon climate and is affected by monsoons all year round. The northeast monsoon prevails in the winter half of the year, and is affected by the subtropical high pressure in the summer half of the year. The southerly steam flow from its western edge transports rainy areas. With abundant water vapor, the growth of forest vegetation accelerates with the arrival of the rainy season; the southern edge is the intertropical convergence zone and the rain belt of typhoon activity. Under the control of subtropical high pressure, the mountainous area turns to the dry season after the rainy season. The geological and landforms have been affected by the orogeny, as well as various external forces such as running water and wind, forming a diverse landform. The terrain is steep, rich in hills, and the ridges and valleys are arranged in an orderly manner. Due to the rich diversity of the terrain, a variety of soils have been formed combination, abundant rainfall, diverse animal and plant species, and rich forest species.

3.2 Animal resources. The reserve is rich in species resources and is a rare species gene bank. According to preliminary survey statistics, 449 species of vertebrates have been found in the area, including 5 orders, 33 orders, 77 families, and 43 species of vertebrates, including 5 orders, 14 families, and 43 species of fish; 34 species of amphibians, 2 orders, and 7 families; 76 species of reptiles, 3 orders, and 10 families; and birds. There are 211 species in 21 families and 15 orders in the class Mammalia; 85 species in 25 families and 8 orders in the class Mammalia. Among them, 62 species are nationally protected animals (9 species, including the South China tiger, leopard, and tragopan, are national first-level protected animals; 53 species, including black bears, Tibetan emirates, otters, mandarin ducks, pangolins, and white pheasants, are national second-level protected animals) , accounting for 13.81% of the 449 species of terrestrial vertebrates in the nature reserve. There are also 257 species of "terrestrial vertebrates that are beneficial to the state or have important economic and scientific research value", accounting for 57.24% of the total number of terrestrial vertebrate species in the reserve. There are 76 widely distributed species, accounting for 16.93%. There are also richer insect resources.

3.3 Plant resources. The zonal vegetation in the reserve is subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, pointed broad-leaf mixed forest, overlapping shrubs and grasslands, with a forest coverage rate of 73% and a living tree volume of 61 million m3. The reserve has a relatively rich plant species composition, the vegetation appearance is evergreen all year round, the community structure is diverse, and there are many vines.

There are 1,333 species of vascular plants (including 2 species of rare and endangered plants and 10 species of first- and second-level national protected plants), belonging to 1,031 genera and 290 families. Among them, tropical and subtropical plant species are dominant, accounting for 56%, world-wide species account for 19%, tropical species account for 18%, and temperate species account for 7%. The plant species of the vegetation are mainly composed of Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae, Inaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Theaceae, Benzoinaceae, Fagaceae and Rhododendron. Most of them are locally developed South China flora. It is one of the distribution centers of endemic families and genera.

4 Ecotourism planning in nature reserves.

The development of eco-tourism in nature reserves cannot be based on what others say, because the resources of various protected areas in the province are similar. If you do not have your own special products, you will definitely not be able to attract tourists from thousands of miles away, especially those who In nature reserves located in remote mountainous areas, there is greater competitive pressure to develop eco-tourism. Therefore, nature reserves must have their own products to develop eco-tourism, so that tourist consumers can see and hear the physical sounds of wild animal resources while recuperating and vacationing, enjoying high-quality air and beautiful natural environment. Let them gain something from nature's products through their senses. Therefore, when planning and designing nature reserves, some real ecological products that can be seen, touched, and heard should be taken into consideration.

4.1 Introduction and protection of ornamental animal resources. Observing animal resources is definitely not like in a zoo, where animals are kept in a narrow place for a long time; how does a protected area bring wild animal resources into the observation range of tourists, so that tourists can observe the natural world with telescopes The "pleasure" of seeing the wild animals in the park is self-evident. However, this is a long-term and scientific plan and a systematic work.

4.1.1 Reintroduction and release of wild macaque monkeys. Macaques are primates and one of the wild animals that humans like. How to attract wild macaques to the vicinity of scenic spots and how to make wild macaques not afraid of humans? Anyone who has read "The Hunter and the Wolf" knows this story: The hunter takes the wolf's cub home and raises it. The wolf cub and the hunter live in the same family. Later, the raised wolf takes the biological wolf home, and the hunter You and the wolf don't bother each other. You don't invade me and I don't invade you. We become good friends. This shows that animals and people can communicate, so it is entirely possible to lead wild macaques to nearby scenic spots, but we must pay attention to science and methods, and plant various "fruit" plants near the target scenic spots. Create a habitat that primates like, but try to avoid destroying the original ecology. At the same time, use the hearing and smell of the same kind and the seasonality of breeding to release artificially raised and domesticated macaques into nature to attract wild macaques. monkey.

4.1.2 Introduction and release of pheasant birds. The introduction of pheasant birds is relatively simple. Breeding and breeding, artificial hatching and research are carried out at the same time. Scientific research is carried out simultaneously with the introduction of pheasant bird resources. Artificial hatching can also be developed as a part of tourism science and education publicity projects. Taking advantage of the characteristics of pheasant birds such as fast reproduction, large numbers and high survival rate, releasing a certain breeding number of pheasant birds into nature will not only increase bird resources in the protected area, but also attract more birds. bird and carnivore resources, increasing the appreciability of ecotourism.

4.1.3 Introduction and protection of ornamental insects. Butterflies love flowers and insects love grass. We can use the "butterfly effect" to plant flowers to attract butterflies. Of course, we must plant some host plants, such as Paris Papilio, Green Papilio, Green Spotted Butterfly, Green Papilio, Mastiff Butterfly and other insects that like it. The plants create a "sea of ??flowers" for insect species, which is both natural and ecological. While enjoying the "exotic flowers and plants", tourists can also appreciate colorful butterflies, giving tourists a sense of being in nature and pleasing to the eye. I feel that this is the product and feature of ecological tourism developed in protected areas.

4.1.4 Development references of the release project. The development of the release project is aimed at the breeding of farmed animals. When a certain number of animals are bred, a release publicity will be carried out, so that the successfully bred animals can be "born here, released here, and return to nature", and at the same time, all " "Tourists who love nature" can participate in the release operation to increase their income, enhance publicity, educate and have fun, and achieve multiple goals with one stone, so why not do it.

4.2 Domestication and display of wild precious plant resources. It is already very difficult for tourists coming from far away to enter the protected area. It would be too inhumane to ask them to climb to a certain mountain to see various rare and precious plants. Therefore, when developing eco-tourism planning, appropriate consideration should be given to the introduction or domestication of some rare and precious plant seeds, and their cultivation, research and domestication display in scenic spots.

4.3 Community landscape and human patterns. A part of the protected area is a limestone area, and the rock composition is mainly soluble rock, such as limestone, dolomite, etc. In nature, stagnant water quality can easily reach a saturated state. The fluidity causes saturated aqueous solutions of different concentrations to mix and produce mixed corrosion, making rocks easily dissolved by carbon dioxide-rich rainwater, forming many fissures, ravines, and even Sinkholes, dissolution funnels, dissolution depressions, etc. There is a cave in the reserve, about 200 meters deep. When the temperature increases or the pressure decreases along the cave, the CO2 content in the water decreases, causing the redeposition of calcium carbonate, enriching the sedimentary landscape in the wide area of ??the cave. Since most of the atmospheric precipitation seeps into the ground from sinkholes and surface fissure channels, it forms groundwater.

Therefore, the groundwater in this area is very rich, but the surface water is relatively small. Therefore, the reservoir in the reserve has become a drinking water resource for supporting a person and a water resource that the community consciously protects; there are also Fengshui forests and a legend that one person cultivates 10 plots of land a day. magical story.

4.4 Landscape planning and construction of viewing routes. Landscape planning and viewing route design should be designed and determined by protected area professionals. Functional zoning and design concepts are divided into three major functional areas: the area along the reservoir loop, the mountaineering viewing area, and the animal viewing area.

4.4.1 Countryside Trail: Established on the basis of existing roads, a cobblestone ring road surrounding the reservoir is 2 meters wide and 3.5 kilometers long. It is mainly used by tourists for walking, and some Hammer Fishing Lodge.

4.4.2 Hiking Trail: A tourist trail is formed on the periphery of the main ring road to encourage tourists to engage in various fitness activities. The road surface is 2 meters wide and has a total length of 8 kilometers. The material can be local stone.

4.4.3 Hiking trails: There are hiking trails around the hiking trails, with a total length of 10 kilometers. They twist and turn according to the mountain topography and are suitable for mountaineering enthusiasts. Between the above three main ring roads, many walking trails are formed according to people's walking habits and functional segmentation requirements. The road surface can be sand, gravel, etc.

4.4.4 Parking lot: A parking lot is set up at the main entrance. Visitors can only visit on foot to simplify transportation and safety.

5 Principles to be followed when developing ecotourism.

The function and performance of protected areas is to protect natural resources and the environment. Therefore, many nature reserves have sacrificed development opportunities to protect natural resources and the environment. However, this is a one-sided and unfair approach. Extreme understanding of development. Therefore, for the sustainable and effective development of nature reserves and their communities, it is necessary and important to develop ecotourism. For this reason, the development of ecotourism is based on the primary condition of not destroying local natural resources and ecological environment, and at the same time, it is necessary to The local ecology has a protective effect. Successful ecotourism development must protect three main objects, one is the protection of resources and environment, the other is the protection of social culture, and the third is the protection of economic interests. These three contents have special functions for the sustainable development of ecotourism. . Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable development of ecotourism, the following basic principles should be adhered to in developing ecotourism.

5.1 Bearing capacity control principle. In the process of developing and utilizing eco-tourism resources, ecological laws should be observed, the basic laws of ecological capacity should be followed, and the optimal number of tourists, tourist capacity of routes and passes should be carefully calculated.

5.2 Principles of natural environmental protection. Eco-tourism is different from mass tourism. Eco-tourism is mainly about returning to nature. The most important thing is nature and primitiveness. Man-made landscapes should be reduced as much as possible to avoid environmental damage caused by development. The planning and design should be simple, practical and convenient, and the appearance should be good. Be one with the natural environment.

5.3 Principles of community participation. To develop eco-tourism, environmental benefits are fundamental, social benefits are the ultimate goal, and economic benefits are the direct driving force. Only when the local economy of the community develops will the farmers in the community consciously and proactively protect the eco-tourism environment. Therefore, in the process of developing eco-tourism, local farmers should be involved in tourism services. This can not only enhance the unique local cultural atmosphere, improve the attractiveness of resources, but also allow local farmers to benefit from the development of eco-tourism. Improve the lives of local farmers and directly relieve their pressure on eco-tourism resources.

5.4 Principles of environmental education. Ecotourism is different from traditional mass tourism. In addition to enjoying the rich forest resources, its other main function is environmental education. Therefore, when developing ecotourism projects, we must seriously consider designing some tourist areas to enlighten tourists' environmental awareness. facilities and tourism projects.

5.5 Strengthen tourism planning and management principles. Ecotourism resources are extremely precious and scarce resources. Protected areas should recognize the value of ecotourism resources and have scientific planning and management of ecotourism so that the development of ecotourism resources can be continuously and effectively utilized and protected.

5.6 Cleaner production principles. During the actual action design process, try not to discharge waste into the environment, control the adverse impact of tourism on environmental quality within the environmental carrying capacity, and try to use clean energy such as solar energy and wind energy.

5.7 Principle of profit investment. In order to ensure the sustainable and effective implementation of resource and environmental protection work, it is also required in eco-tourism operations to invest part of the economic income from tourism operations back into environmental protection, so that tourism resources can be continuously protected and utilized.

5.8 Training principles for professionals. The development of ecotourism resources is a systematic project of protection and utilization, involving a wide range of professional knowledge. It requires practitioners to have protective development awareness, strong protection quality and protection knowledge. It is different from mass tourism service training. Staff who develop and operate tourism resources must undergo professional learning and training in ecological environment, sustainable development and other related professional knowledge.