A Model for Sustainable Tourism Development of Hot Spring Destinations Following Poverty Alleviation: Understanding the Tourists’ Perspective

Wei-Ching Wang and Chung-Hsien Lin
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Wei-Ching Wang: Business School, Nanfang College Guangzhou, Guangzhou 510970, China
Chung-Hsien Lin: Department of Leisure and Recreation, National Formosa University, Yunlin 632301, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: Few studies have examined the issue of the sustainable destination development of hot spring from tourists’ perspective. This study thus proposes a model for sustainable tourism development of hot spring destinations following poverty alleviation in local communities. This model is based on environmental (environmental cognition), sociocultural (hot spring experience, food experience, and attitude toward cultural landscape), and economic (revisit intention) dimensions (factors) of sustainability. The analysis of 271 valid on-site questionnaires about the Conghua hot spring destination in Guangzhou, China, showed that the attitude toward cultural landscape, hot spring experiences, and environmental cognition are the important factors that influence the intention of tourists to revisit hot spring. These findings are based on the level of importance; however, food experience did not play a significant role. Through the cultural landscape, the connection between tourists and destinations is strengthened, which helps to increase the likelihood of tourists revisiting the destination. This study found that the purpose of cultural legacy can be achieved while balancing environmental development issues, and is one of the guidelines for sustainable development in poverty alleviation in destination.

Keywords: hot spring; sustainable tourism; poverty alleviation; cultural landscape; Guangzhou; Conghua hot spring destination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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