Empirical Study on Geotourism and Regional Innovation in Small Island

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02072
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Tourism Studies
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: FUKAMI Satoshi 長崎大学, 水産・環境科学総合研究科(環境), 准教授 (20510655)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ジオツーリズム / エコツーリズム / 持続可能な観光 / ジオパーク / 世界遺産 / 島嶼 / 環境保全 / 観光教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The subject of this study was small islands and the surrounding areas. The purpose of the study was, while placing geo-tourism as one of the sustainable forms of tourism, to study ways to promote sustainable tourism after understanding positive as well as negative impacts potentially given to the community.
There are different terms, such as geo-tourism and eco-tourism, that indicate some forms of tourism. Irrespective of the difference, it was found out in the study that while aiming for a sustainable form of tourism, a shortage of human resources for conserving tourist attractions in addition to a shortage of bearers in the community are becoming increasingly serious issues. The challenges of maintaining communities, which are rising problem in our country, has already been pre-existing in the small islands. An importance of providing improved tourism education as mutual learning opportunities for tourists and the local residents was pointed out.

Free Research Field

観光学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、我が国が直面している急激な超高齢化と人口減少の進展といった社会構造の変化に対して、観光は条件不利地域とされる小規模島嶼やその周辺地域においても有効な活性化の方途であることを示した。同時に、経済的効果への過度な傾倒は結果として持続的な地域社会の維持にはプラスに作用せず、むしろ観光客と地域住民とが相互に出会う場面(体験やガイドなど)の創出による社会的効果へ注目することが重要となることを明らかにした。