阿里山地區生態旅遊永續發展之準則驗證與永續經營策略
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2006
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台灣地區為發展生態旅遊，國內觀光主管機關除了於2002年核准生態旅遊計畫，並宣布2002年為「生態旅遊年」之外，行政院國家永續發展委員會也於2005年研提「生態旅遊白皮書」，以生態旅遊觀念的定義與精神為核心，積極倡導生態旅遊活動。阿里山地區的山岳旅遊活動一向受到遊客的喜愛，並適合發展成為生態旅遊區。然而，隨著遊客的大量造訪，生態旅遊地是否為了追求經濟成長而忽略適當的規劃與管理，實為管理單位所面臨的重大課題；因此，管理者的當務之急即是針對生態旅遊地進行永續發展之評估，藉以監測該區的旅遊環境品質與資源運用狀況。
本研究以阿里山地區的自然及人文地理特性為基礎，透過生態旅遊發展必備的環境資源、吸引類型、景點區位等條件，分析阿里山發展生態旅遊的條件，歸納出主要的三類型及其重要景區 : (一)鄒族文化生態社區：以達邦部落與來吉部落為主；(二)陸域河域自然生態區：以山美部落的「達娜伊谷」與瑞里地區的「自然生態教室」為主；以及(三) 阿里山鐵道沿線生態區：以森林垂直生態區之「阿里山森林遊樂區」與奮起湖「鐵道文化」區為主等。依據本研究所作之生態旅遊潛力分析，前二類屬二級潛力，第三類屬一級潛力，阿里山的確是中外馳名的高山生態旅遊區。
本研究基於居民、遊客、政府部門與旅遊業者等四種權利關係人，運用德爾菲法探訪23位專家學家之意見，經兩階段問卷調查後建構「山岳型生態旅遊地永續發展之評估準則」共計81項（22項遊客層面、17項居民層面、22項政府部門層面、20項生態旅遊業者層面）。其次，運用層級分析法（AHP）求取準則權重，經分析結果顯示：山岳型生態旅遊地之永續發展評估的重要層面依次為居民（0.334）、政府部門（0.293）、遊客（0.201）及生態旅遊業者（0.172）。最後，評估出三大主題樣區永續發展趨勢評價結果依序為「鄒族社區生態旅遊發展樣區」（平均值3.95分）表現最佳，其次為「阿里山鐵道沿線生態旅遊發展樣區」（平均值3.87分），再其次為「陸域及河域生態旅遊發展樣區」（平均值3.75分）均屬潛在永續發展程度。
為進一步掌握區內資源永續經營的相關問題，採用深度訪談法針對阿里山地區三類型樣區的四層面之權利關係人訪談請益，分析並整理出區內資源永續經營課題：在環境層面部分，尖峰假日尚未實施有效的遊憩承載管制措施、現有商家及攤販景觀雜亂、旅館民宿業者僅做一般簡易污水處理設施、茶園、檳榔園超度開發及私有林地砍伐等問題、每逢颱風季節，山區常有落石出現，常造成道路坍坊或橋樑沖毀等情事；在社會層面部分，居民、業者均對金錢日益看重、已有幫派混進社區營運，社區商家間的競爭更白熱化；在生態旅遊產品部分，旅遊產品服務與包裝未符生態環保標準，所販售之農特產及工藝品伴手禮，未展現當地獨特性、導覽內容未有生態倫理教育觀念、生態旅遊安全維護未建立預警及緊急救難措施、大陸旅客對阿里山地區之住宿品質、餐飲品質、哄抬茶葉物價等之不當事件已提建言；生態旅遊產業部分，社區間生態旅遊統一運作機制未能建立、未能提高當地居民就業機會，部分社區未建立回饋社區機制、仍依賴公部門協助而少自給自足考量。
最後，本研究將研究區置於世界觀光組織（WTO,1996）之永續觀光中心之指標下，提出阿里山地區永續觀光發展的29項指標量度，作為經營者和決策者進行經營管理及擬定策略之參考。經實際評估分析結果有13項指標趨向永續性，12項指標背離永續性，4項指標趨向維持不變。對於不利阿里山地區永續發展目前所遭遇問題，本研究提出 : 導入政府的良性管理與規劃、積極實施遊憩承載量、擴大生態社區的參與機制、加強導覽功能與旅遊品質、提供多樣化的遊程體驗、強化旅遊服務技能、教育正確生態旅遊的理念、建立山岳型生態旅遊預警系統和推動誠信服務的態度等因應策略。
關鍵詞：生態旅遊、永續發展。
Governmental agencies in Taiwan responsible for overseeing tourism have taken several measures in recent years to develop local ecotourism. Declaring 2002 the year of ecotourism, they approved a proposal to develop suitable ecotourism programs on the island. Then, three years later, the National Council for Sustainable Development of the Executive Yuan researched and published its Ecotourism White Paper, which focused on providing an exact definition of ecotourism and the spirit of the movement, while actively proposing possible ecotourism activities. The Ali Mountain region’s tourist activities have always been popular among visitors, making the area highly suitable for the development of ecotourism. However, over the past several years, the number of tourists visiting the mountain and surrounding ecological areas has increased significantly. Management authorities must now face the problem that in the quest for economic growth, they may not have implemented adequate planning and management of the ecotourism areas. Their foremost duty, therefore, is to assess the sustainability of the development of ecotourism by monitoring the quality of sightseeing areas and the impact of tourism on local resources. In view of such special characteristics of the Ali Mountain region as its natural surroundings as well as its cultural and geographical uniqueness, as well as conditions that are necessary for the development of ecotourism, including environmental resources, attraction types, and the locations of scenic spots, this paper analyzes the conditions for developing ecotourism on Ali Mountain, determining the three major types as well as the location of important scenic areas. (1) Tsou Tribe Cultural Eco-community: Centered around the tribal areas of Tabang and Laichi.(2) Land and River Nature Areas: The Saviki tribal region’s Tanayi Valley and the Rueili region’s Ecology Education Center.(3) Ali Mountain Railway Ecological Area: Ali Mountain Forest Recreational Area and the Fenchi River Railway Cultural Area located among the region’s forest vertical ecosystem. Of the above possible areas, the first two are rated at the second level for ecotourism potential while the third is rated at the first, explaining why Ali Mountain is an ecotourism area that enjoys fame both in Taiwan and around the world. This research is based on the four concerned parties: residents, tourists, government agencies, and tourist industry businesses. Using the Delphi Method, 23 professionals and scholars offered their opinions in a two-phase survey, helping to construct a set of 81 analysis criteria for the sustainable development of mountain ecotourism on Ali Mountain (22 items dealt with tourists, 17 with residents, 22 with government agencies, and 20 with ecotourist businesses). Next, through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), it was determined that the relative weight of concerned parties was highest for residents (0.334), then government agencies (0.293), tourists (0.201), and finally ecotourist businesses (0.172). This paper’s evaluation of the three proposed areas for development of ecotourism found that the Tsou Tribe Cultural Eco-community had the highest potential (average value of 3.95 points). It was followed closely by the Ali Mountain Railway Ecological Area (average value of 3.87 points) and the Land and River Nature Areas (average value of 3.75 points), which both also show promise for sustainable development. In order to further understand issues related to the sustained development of area resources, indepth interviews were carried out with four types of individuals with vested interest in Ali Mountain’s sample regions to ask their advice and then analyze and organize the information attained regarding the sustained development of area resources. Environment issues include the lack of recreation carrying capacity controls being effectively implemented for peak holiday periods, the appearance of currently established businesses and vendors are unattractive, hotels and bed& breakfast establishments use only basic sewage water processing equipment, the overdevelopment of tea plantations and beetlenut orchards, and excessive harvesting of trees on privately-owned forest lands. During the typhoon season, rock slides are a common occurrence in mountainous areas and they frequently cause roads to collapse and bridges to be washed out. In regard to society, residents and ecotourist businesses are attaching increasing importance to revenue, criminal organizations are now operating in the community, and competition among businesses is becoming increasingly intense. In the area of ecotourist products, travel products, services, and packaging are not as yet meeting ecological and environmental standards. Suggestions have been offered for such issues as the special agricultural products sold and handicrafts gifts still not being representative of the area, the information given by guides still not educating visitors about ecological ethics, the lack of early warning system or emergency rescue measures for the safe maintenance of ecotourism, improprieties directed at tourists from the PRC, such as the poor levels of quality of accommodations as well as food and drink offered to them in the Ali Mountain region and tea leaves sold to them at exorbitant prices. As to the ecotourist industry, a uniform operation mechanism for ecotourism in different communities has not been established, no appreciable increase in jobs for local residents has been evident, some communities have not established mechanisms for giving back to society, and they continue to rely on assistance from the public sector and do not think of ways to be self-sufficient. Finally, this paper will be placed under the World Tourism Organization’s (WTO, 1996) Sustained Development Center, this paper proposes and researches 29 criteria for sustainable tourism development in the Ali Mountain region. The results of this analysis can serve as reference for tourism operators and decision makers as they administer the sites and draft new policies. Applied evaluation revealed that 13 of these criteria show a tendency towards sustainability and 12 diverge from sustainability, while four are inclined towards maintenance of the status quo. As to issues that are disadvantageous to sustained development in the Ali Mountain region, this study suggests the adoption of the following countermeasures—incorporate good management and planning by the government, actively implement recreation carrying capacity controls, expand the mechanism for community participation in the ecology, improve guide information and travel quality, provide a diversified travel experience, enhance tourism service skills, correctly educate tourists in regard to ecotourism, establish an ecotourist early warning system for the mountainous region, and promote sincerity in services.
Governmental agencies in Taiwan responsible for overseeing tourism have taken several measures in recent years to develop local ecotourism. Declaring 2002 the year of ecotourism, they approved a proposal to develop suitable ecotourism programs on the island. Then, three years later, the National Council for Sustainable Development of the Executive Yuan researched and published its Ecotourism White Paper, which focused on providing an exact definition of ecotourism and the spirit of the movement, while actively proposing possible ecotourism activities. The Ali Mountain region’s tourist activities have always been popular among visitors, making the area highly suitable for the development of ecotourism. However, over the past several years, the number of tourists visiting the mountain and surrounding ecological areas has increased significantly. Management authorities must now face the problem that in the quest for economic growth, they may not have implemented adequate planning and management of the ecotourism areas. Their foremost duty, therefore, is to assess the sustainability of the development of ecotourism by monitoring the quality of sightseeing areas and the impact of tourism on local resources. In view of such special characteristics of the Ali Mountain region as its natural surroundings as well as its cultural and geographical uniqueness, as well as conditions that are necessary for the development of ecotourism, including environmental resources, attraction types, and the locations of scenic spots, this paper analyzes the conditions for developing ecotourism on Ali Mountain, determining the three major types as well as the location of important scenic areas. (1) Tsou Tribe Cultural Eco-community: Centered around the tribal areas of Tabang and Laichi.(2) Land and River Nature Areas: The Saviki tribal region’s Tanayi Valley and the Rueili region’s Ecology Education Center.(3) Ali Mountain Railway Ecological Area: Ali Mountain Forest Recreational Area and the Fenchi River Railway Cultural Area located among the region’s forest vertical ecosystem. Of the above possible areas, the first two are rated at the second level for ecotourism potential while the third is rated at the first, explaining why Ali Mountain is an ecotourism area that enjoys fame both in Taiwan and around the world. This research is based on the four concerned parties: residents, tourists, government agencies, and tourist industry businesses. Using the Delphi Method, 23 professionals and scholars offered their opinions in a two-phase survey, helping to construct a set of 81 analysis criteria for the sustainable development of mountain ecotourism on Ali Mountain (22 items dealt with tourists, 17 with residents, 22 with government agencies, and 20 with ecotourist businesses). Next, through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), it was determined that the relative weight of concerned parties was highest for residents (0.334), then government agencies (0.293), tourists (0.201), and finally ecotourist businesses (0.172). This paper’s evaluation of the three proposed areas for development of ecotourism found that the Tsou Tribe Cultural Eco-community had the highest potential (average value of 3.95 points). It was followed closely by the Ali Mountain Railway Ecological Area (average value of 3.87 points) and the Land and River Nature Areas (average value of 3.75 points), which both also show promise for sustainable development. In order to further understand issues related to the sustained development of area resources, indepth interviews were carried out with four types of individuals with vested interest in Ali Mountain’s sample regions to ask their advice and then analyze and organize the information attained regarding the sustained development of area resources. Environment issues include the lack of recreation carrying capacity controls being effectively implemented for peak holiday periods, the appearance of currently established businesses and vendors are unattractive, hotels and bed& breakfast establishments use only basic sewage water processing equipment, the overdevelopment of tea plantations and beetlenut orchards, and excessive harvesting of trees on privately-owned forest lands. During the typhoon season, rock slides are a common occurrence in mountainous areas and they frequently cause roads to collapse and bridges to be washed out. In regard to society, residents and ecotourist businesses are attaching increasing importance to revenue, criminal organizations are now operating in the community, and competition among businesses is becoming increasingly intense. In the area of ecotourist products, travel products, services, and packaging are not as yet meeting ecological and environmental standards. Suggestions have been offered for such issues as the special agricultural products sold and handicrafts gifts still not being representative of the area, the information given by guides still not educating visitors about ecological ethics, the lack of early warning system or emergency rescue measures for the safe maintenance of ecotourism, improprieties directed at tourists from the PRC, such as the poor levels of quality of accommodations as well as food and drink offered to them in the Ali Mountain region and tea leaves sold to them at exorbitant prices. As to the ecotourist industry, a uniform operation mechanism for ecotourism in different communities has not been established, no appreciable increase in jobs for local residents has been evident, some communities have not established mechanisms for giving back to society, and they continue to rely on assistance from the public sector and do not think of ways to be self-sufficient. Finally, this paper will be placed under the World Tourism Organization’s (WTO, 1996) Sustained Development Center, this paper proposes and researches 29 criteria for sustainable tourism development in the Ali Mountain region. The results of this analysis can serve as reference for tourism operators and decision makers as they administer the sites and draft new policies. Applied evaluation revealed that 13 of these criteria show a tendency towards sustainability and 12 diverge from sustainability, while four are inclined towards maintenance of the status quo. As to issues that are disadvantageous to sustained development in the Ali Mountain region, this study suggests the adoption of the following countermeasures—incorporate good management and planning by the government, actively implement recreation carrying capacity controls, expand the mechanism for community participation in the ecology, improve guide information and travel quality, provide a diversified travel experience, enhance tourism service skills, correctly educate tourists in regard to ecotourism, establish an ecotourist early warning system for the mountainous region, and promote sincerity in services.
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Keywords
生態旅遊, 永續發展, Ecotourism, Sustainable Development