Attractiveness index of national marine parks: A study on national marine parks in coastal areas of East China Sea

Abstract

Balancing the development and protection of national marine parks in a suitable way is of great SIGNIFICANCE for environmental sustainability. Tourism attractiveness is an important indicator for measuring this development. In this study, by searching through online reviews of the national marine parks in the coastal areas of the East China Sea, and by analyzing tourists’ perceptions of them, an indicator system for tourism attraction was established. Natural attributes, supporting facilities, service experience, and tours were taken as secondary indicators. This study combines the analytic hierarchy process with questionnaires to calculate the attractiveness index of national marine parks. The study finds that national marine parks in the coastal areas of the East China Sea have a higher level of tourist satisfaction and attractiveness, but that more attention needs to be paid to supporting facilities, as tourists currently find them insufficient. Among these, natural attributes are an important factor affecting the attractiveness of the marine parks, while special cuisine, customer experience, public transportation, and attitudes are all indicators with higher weight within the attractiveness index. The tourism attractiveness of national marine parks was investigated quantitatively and the indicators affecting the tourism attractiveness index were illustrated clearly.

Keywords

• coastal areas of east china sea
• national marine parks
• indicator system
• attractiveness index