The Status Quo of China

黄 捷(译)

[Abstract] In recent years, eco-featured tourism has become more and more attractive in China. It has been rapidly developed while there are some problems about it. but we have reason to believe that this form of tourism in the future more broad space for development. Environmental awareness and the rise of the trend of green consumption, provide a broad market space for eco-tourism. We should strengthen the construction of the tourist service facilities; attention should be paid to the introduction of talent to develop and improve, whether it is tourism management (or management of tourism), and tour guides must be trained.

The development of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in China will attract the attention of the world and society

[Key Words] eco-featured；tourism；environmental；awareness；environmental protection

Introduction

(A) Introduction

In order to actively promote the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)around the world, the United Nations named the "Year of Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.)" in the year of 2000. As one of the program of activities of the United Nations Year of Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.) ", the World Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.) Summit, on May 19 and lasting to 22 of the same month, was held in Quebec, Canada. From 132 countries at the public, more than 1,000 representatives of non-governmental sector on the development of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) in the discussion and made recommendations. Assembly released the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.) and the declaration was submitted to the August and September 2002 in South Africa at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). As a positive response from the United Nations Year of Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.), many national and local institutions in 2002 organized the various types of seminars to celebrate the United Nations Year of Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.) ", as well as a series of activities around the theme year to carry out, promoting better cooperation between Governments. The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has pushed and attracted the operators and the consumers provided an opportunity for the development of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) which has become a hot topic in the worldwide.

As early as in 1999, China's National Tourism Administration, to determine the year of "the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short), also took the opportunity to launch around some of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) products in China and the authority has also launched a vigorous practice of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) activities. With the concept of environmental protection is growing in popularity and the implementation of the sustainable development strategy in China, The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has also received considerable development.

Especially in recent years, many places in China has started to carry out the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) activities and especially in these places which are located in the western or remote and poverty-stricken mountainous regions，which are known to have resource endowment good western and poverty-stricken areas as tourism is the dominant industry, industrial restructuring alternative industries. The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has taken into account the reason of all concerns as economic, environmental, and social forms of tourism is highly regarded, the western region and in remote and poor areas of poverty, adhere to sustainable development.

However, The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in the development process also produced a series of questions, The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in attracting much attention, by high hopes at the same time lead to a lot of criticism. So, what is the real eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short)? How to achieve harmony and unity of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has achieved in its goals so as to promote the successful practice of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in China? In this paper, these issues have been researched on with in-depth thinking and the related answers have been found out to solve them as necessary and probable solutions.

(A) The concept of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and the development status of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)

Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.) is a rapidly growing emerging form of tourism, but also it is shown to be a hot topic in the tourism industry. Predicting that the world is to move towards the protected area, the close to nature has been stated by experts and tourists as the theme of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) which will rise in the world. However, in people for China's tourism industry is facing rare opportunities ecstatic, we must attach great importance to the tourism industry on the environment caused short-term and long-term harm . In particular, some people under the banner of the name of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), and actually doing damage to the environment tourism. Therefore, it is necessary to study the true meaning of the eco-featured tourism (or ecological tourism), combined with China's actual formulation of laws and regulations and management measures of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), in order to truly protect our natural landscape and cultural heritage, tourism has become a sustainable green industries.

Evolution of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and the concept with real content

The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is the impact of tourism on the environment and promote a new tourism industry. In 1988, to the definition of ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.): The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)as a special form of conventional tourism, visitors viewing and tour of the cultural heritage of the ancient and modern at the same time, engaged in a relatively simple, primitive natural areas, enjoy trips and pleasure scenery and wildlife. During this period the concept of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is a tourism of "Returning to nature", "return to basics" in which a concept of being returning or nostalgic and nature friendly. More and more tourists are more willing to exploring the nature rather than to go through the modern city or lay in the seaside resort, emphasizing the development of tourism in the development of the natural landscape. In 1993, the International Ecotourism (acronym of the eco-featured tourism, which can also be presented shortly as E.T.) Society defines the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) as follows: protecting the natural environment and maintain the dual responsibility of tourism activities of the local people's life. The connotation of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is more emphasis on the protection of the natural landscape, the sustainable development of tourism. The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)should not be at the expense of the environment should be in harmony with nature, and it must be sure that the present generations enjoy the natural landscape and cultural landscape of the tourism opportunities and future generations equality, that is not contemporary people who enjoy and sacrifice the tourism resources at the expense of deprivation under the premise of future generations who should enjoy the same tourism resources, and even the contemporary, which does not destroy the predecessors created the cultural landscape and the natural landscape for future generations to construction and new cultural landscape. And the whole process of eco-tourism (or ecological tourism), it is necessary so that the tourists are vivid and specific ecological education.

The truth is that the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)is a natural process of learning with the aim of protection of natural high-level tourism activities and educational activities, while as purely profit-making activities is contrary to the eco-featured tourism(or ecological tourism). At the same time, The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)is a high scientific and technological content of the green industry, ecologists, economists and sociologists multidisciplinary argument, before being put into operation. We need to seriously study the bearing capacity of the ecological environment and tourism resources. Otherwise, interference and destruction of fragile ecosystems will cause irreversible. At the same time, the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)should be environmental education, popularization of science and spiritual civilization as the core content, which is to really make the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)school for people to study nature, love nature, and comprehend the conception of nature conservation along with its important and significant connotation.

The current development of eco-tourism (or ecological tourism)

Although the concept of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and the elucidation of harmony has been provoked between man and nature can vaguely be found in our ancient sages source of ideas, but as a clear reference to eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), but it is entirely abroad. The development of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) in our country has the need to derive from the development of the research field in China into the practical aspects And the following key points are to summarize:

(1) The practice of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short)

China's eco tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)is the main support in the development of nature reserves, forest parks, scenic spots. In 1982, China's first national forest park - Zhang Jia Jie (a scenic spot known for natural beauty in Hunan province and meaning ‘the frontier of the family Zhang in Chinese language) National Forest Park establishment of tourism development and ecological environmental protection organic combination. Since then, the construction of forest parks and forest The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has achieved a rapid development, although this time the development of forest tourism is not in the strict sense of the eco-featured tourism (or ecological tourism), but provides a good foundation for the development of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short). To the beginning of 1999 the country has built different types, different levels of Forest Parks which are numbered near 900 now. Since the establishment of the first batch of nature reserves since 1956, until the end of 1997, to build nature reserves, 932 National 124, 14 was formally approved to join the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Of a total of 512 scenic spots, a total area of 96,000 square kilometers or km carré(km for short) has been explored and spotted out.

In 1999，the government of the city of Kunming has hold World Expo and the 1999 National Tourism Administration of the year has proven to be very successful. The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has a series of theme activities which had greatly promoted the practice of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in China. In the same year of1999, Chengdu, the capitol city of Sichuan province in the southwest China has started out the same propaganda machine that was launched by the main venue of the World Tourism Day, in which the famous sites as Jiuzhai Gou (the most famous tourist attraction in Sichuan province in the western China, and its name refers to originally the meaning of ‘valley in which nine villages are residing)(meaning a valley famous for nine villages), Huang Long(meaning a dragon colored in the color of bright and gold), E Mei Mountain (a mountain of religious importance and famous for its bio diversity), Le Shan Giant Buddha(a statue of Buddha located in the city of Le Shan that is known to be the biggest one among its existing neighbors) and other attractions are chosen and appeared in the first generation of list of world heritage. The development of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is reliable for the quality of products. Subsequently, the International Forest Protection Festival organized by the province of Hunan provinces Zhang Jia Jie(meaning the frontier of the family Zhang in Chinese and located in the northwest of Hunan provinces province) National Forest Park, is to launch Wu Ling Park as a symbol of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) .The southern provinces such as Hunan provinces and Sichuan have stood out as a starting point. The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)that is in the country has gradually developed. The survey results show that in 2001 the country more than 100 provincial-level nature reserves, 82 protected areas was officially launched travel has reached 12, the annual tourist trips in the protected area of more than 100,000 yuan.

(2) The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)and its development has a broader practice area

At present, in the country, the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is viewed as the things equal to forest parks, scenic spots and nature reserves. The development of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) earlier, Shangri-La (originally named Zhong Dian which refers to the meaning of ‘the grand plain in the central area in the Chinese language, but the name in the English version of translation was turned into ‘Shangri-lato imitate the name of paradise in the novel ), Xi Shuang Ban Na(original ‘Sesuang Bannain the Dai language meaning ‘twelve bannas of cultivated lands, which is located in the south of Yunnan province and neighbored by Myammar and Laos), the Chang Bai Mountain (or Chang Bai Shan,known as the sacred mountain to the Korean people for it has been serving as a revolutionary spot for Korean revolutionists,nationalist and patriots thus deemed with great importance of politics and ideology. It is also famous for being a paradise for Northeast Asian wildlifes), the Lancang River and it basin (a place of biodiversity and cultural diversity for a river here crossed by seven countries and serves as a bridge between China and ASEAN countries represented by Myammar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand), Ding Hu Shan(or Mount Dinghu) of the city Zhaoqing, in Guangdong, Xinjiangs Kanas(or Lake Kanas) region in the development are all good examples of more mature regions. Each place needs to carry out the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) by type, for it is well-known that the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is able to be divided into the following nine categories:

The first category is the scenic mountain ecosystems, as the representative of the Five Sacred Mountains, which are all mountain of religious importance and significance for Tai Shan (Mount Tai) being a royal shrine to memory the Taoist god, Heng Shan(Mount Heng) being a sacred place of Buddhist mountains,Hua Shan(mount Hua) being also of religious importance and significance for being mountain of Taoism.

The second category is the lake area, represented by the Chang Bai Mountain( known for having Tian Chi or Lake of Heaven),Star Lake of the Guangdong province (previously known as Qi Xing Hu or Lake Qixing) and Qinghai provinces Qinghai Lake (or lake Qinghai,known as the biggest salt lake in China now).

The third category is of the forest ecological area, represented by Jilin provinces Changbai Mountain, Shen Nong Jia(the only forest county in mainland China and it is known to be of a mysterious attraction for these myths of apes happening and spreading over this place) in Hubei province, Yunnans tropical rainforest in Xi Shuang Ban Na (original ‘Sesuang Bannain the Dai language meaning ‘twelve bannas of cultivated lands, which is located in the south of Yunnan province and neighbored by Myammar and Laos).

The grassland ecological area is the fourth type, which is represented by In ner Mongolia autonomous regions Hulunbeier grassland(known also as Hulunbeir Steppe) and represented by other grasslands.

The fifth type is known as the marine ecological area represented by the beach and islands in the city of Beihai of the province of Guangxi and Hainan provinces Wen Chang mangrove coast.

The sixth type is the bird watching ecological area where the wintering migratory birds choose as their nature reserve. The Poyang Lake is known to have a Bird Island and thus it is becoming a main attraction of tourism and tourists. The same story happens in Qinghai Lake as another representative.

The seventh snows the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and that is represented by the Yulong Snow Mountain. The city of Yanbian,the biggest Korean community in the world apart from the two peninsula Koreas, is famous to be another representative of snow mountain ecological area, for having Jilin provinces biggest tourist attraction---Chang Bai Mountain (or Chang Bai Shan,known as the sacred mountain to the Korean people for it has been serving as a revolutionary spot for Korean revolutionists,nationalist and patriots thus deemed with great importance of politics and ideology. It is also famous for being a paradise for Northeast Asian wildlife).

The eighth type of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short) is named as drifting ecological area as we Chinese people have in Hubei the Shennong Jia(the only forest county in mainland China and it is known to be of a mysterious attraction for these myths of apes happening and spreading over this place) as a representative.

The ninth and the last type is to classify the trekking adventure ecological area, such as the Tibetan sacred highline Mount Everest, or the Lop Nur desert, and the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon, which are all good representatives..

(3) The main types of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and all the relevant and related products

As early as in 1999, the year of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short) according to the UN, the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)type was launched out to be a new type of tourism mainly including bird watching, wildlife tours, bike tours, rafting tours, desert adventure, protection of the environment, natural ecological study, ski touring, mountaineering expeditions, Shangri-La Galapagos Tour, Sea Journey and some kinds of the same types of tourism numbered by over ten categories of special products(another statistics shows a total of 193, recommended to the world to carry out the eco-featured tourism. In this list there are 7 scenic spots in China in the "World Heritage List", of which we have noticed 19 Chinese Biosphere Reserve, and 11 China Botanical Gardens. In 1999, the National Tourism Administration with the relevant departments gradually planning and development, construction of a number of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is still to be developed, as the main types include ocean, mountain, desert, grassland, tropical flora and fauna. Currently, the development of the natural landscape in the form of The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in China from native to the semi-artificial ecological landscape, tourism objects including fields, glaciers, nature reserves, rural pastoral landscape, The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in the form of tour, watch, expedition, adventure, hunting, fishing, the pastoral picking and ecological agriculture the main activities, showing a variety of pattern.

3 Contradictions between the research and practice of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short)

Although the practice of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), but our current view towards the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and its development are not mature, as many experts and scholars may still disagree. Most researchers believe that The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in the true sense of the ecological protection should be established premise, environmental education and natural literacy as the core content is a knowledge of the high level of tourism activities. First of all, on the development and operation of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is the high tech industry should operate under the close involvement of science and technology; tourism developers and operators must be very familiar with the characteristics of the ecosystem in which the region has ecological environment protection expertise. Secondly, in the market, the true sense of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) requires participants to have a high level of environmental awareness. And the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) market more remote, fragile ecosystem, which determines the ecological tourism consumption is much higher than the general mass tourism consumption. Therefore, the way by which most tourists to participate in the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) is a high degree of cultural, environmental awareness for the more affluent, formed by a clear contrast with the mass tourism. In terms of goals, some of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and relevant products are not of a lot of the nature of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)within which the practices and did not meet the essential requirements of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), with emphasis on The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) to deepen their understanding of nature, by means of getting into the natural side of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), while ignoring the" natural protection " true sense of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)products, but nature tourism or sightseeing another form, be careful of this kind of products, or the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and its development will inevitably lead to a large number of negative issues.

(B) The existing problems in the practice of eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)in China

China's eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) practice indeed triggered a series of problems, and many experts and scholars have expressed their concern. However, in broad problems caused by the development of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), mostly talking about the causes of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) issues rather than the problem itself. I intend to The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and its development objectives to be achieved from the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)point of view, be summarized as the following four aspects:

1 from the basic objective of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)- environmental protection point of view: the severe environmental damage

The state of Non-standard of the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) and its development for the destruction of the natural environment has provoked a lot of question and debates, mainly to focus on the following aspects: First, the damage to ecosystems caused by improper planning and development; The visitors push over into the place in a way that is surpassing the deadline more than environmental capacity and thus cause damage; The garbage pollution generated in the consumers into recovery and management are not good and the damage is so caused. At present, the reports to carry out the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has an effect of damage to the environment and the negative effect is commonly recorded in a variety of media: Some nature reserves in breach of the Management Regulations, in the buffer zone, and even in the core area，do NOT have the quality to carry out the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)and relevant activities , according to a survey of Man and the Biosphere National Committee for the eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) activities. In some areas, also busy creating a big cultural landscape, the destruction of the natural beauty. In the nature reserve of The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short)activities have been carried out in the presence of 44% of protected areas garbage pollution water pollution, 12% to 11% noise pollution, 3% of air pollution. According to the survey showed that the country more than 100 provincial-level nature reserves, 22% of the Nature Reserve developing The eco-featured tourism (or the ecological tourism or ET for short) has both protected the nature but also objected damage, 11% of tourism resource degradation. In the Wo Long（a county within the territory of Ya An，a city in the west region of Sichuan province） Nature Reserve, some researchers believe that 5 million people a year in travelling activities are a number that is serving as a key to reduce the protection of the giant panda population in the region caused by one of the main reasons. Many protected areas have not set a maximum capacity of tourists; tourist accommodation is close to or exceeds the limit. Jiuzhai Gou (the most famous tourist attraction in Sichuan province in the western China, and its name refers to originally the meaning of ‘valley in which nine villages are residing) in the development of eco-tourism (alternatively named as ecological tourism or just ET for short), organic matter in the water than developed 10 years ago greatly increased.