Research tourism as a tool for science and technology communication

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560148
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geography
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Numata Shinya 首都大学東京, 都市環境科学研究科, 准教授 (20391138)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 世界自然遺産 / 科学委員会 / 観光 / ガイド / 保護地域 / 協働

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To evaluate potential of scientific research as a tourism attraction, we examined research activities and science communications as a tourist attraction in the four world natural heritage sites in Japan. In the four sites, a scientific committee is organized and strategy and plan of management are discussed. Specific issues on the management differed among the sites. In contrast, relationship between research scientists and tourists were different among the sites. Collaboration between scientists and tourist guide was often found in Bonin islands because all scientists need to accompany with tourist guide to enter forest conservation area. However, there is little opportunity for scientists to collaborate with tourist guide in the others.

Free Research Field

自然ツーリズム