지역 활성화를 위한 투어리즘 활용 전략 연구 - 야쿠시마의 에코투어리즘 활용 현황과 시사점을 중심으로

Abstract

Ecotourism can be said to be a form of tourism to successfully balance the protection of the natural environment as a tourism resource and the revitalization of the local economy due to the success of tourism. In other words, if nature itself is a major tourist destination in the region, protecting damage or damage is very important compared to other tourism resources, so ecotourism is a tourism that considers the comprehensive revitalization of the region while presupposing the protection of the natural environment. In the case of Japan, since the 1990s, ecotourism has been judged to help revitalize areas that have natural heritage as a local tourism resource, and has supported the establishment of a legal system for ecotourism and the nationwide promotion of environmentalism. This study focused on Yakushima, which was first listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage in Japan in 1993, among the various regions in Japan that implement ecotourism. Since Yakushima's registration as a World Heritage Site, various problems have emerged, such as damage to the natural environment caused by a rapid increase in visitors, and it has again adversely affected tourist visits. In the end, ecotourism, which can maximize economic effects as a tourism resource while preserving the natural environment, has become an important keyword in Yakushima tourism, and the process and results of Yakushima's ecotourism have many implications.