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Ecotourism in Yakushima: Perception of the People Involved in Tourism Business

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Ecotourism in Yakushima: Perception of the People Involved in Tourism Business 地理科学 vol. 71 no. 4 pp. 185–205, 2016 Geographical Sciences（ Chiri-Kagaku） Ecotourism in Yakushima: Perception of the People Involved in Tourism Business ADEWUMI Ifeoluwa Bolanle* and FUNCK Carolin** Key words: ecotourism, tourism business, resource overuse, community perception, Yakushima Abstract The branding of Yakushima as an ecotourism destination and its designation as a World Heritage Site has not only attracted tourists but also new residents who moved to the island to work in the tourism industry. This paper examined how people in tourism business in Yakushima perceive ecotourism, and the differences in their perception of various ecotourism impacts by their nativity, the year they started living on the island, communities where the business are located, type of business, and when the business started. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the entrepreneurs (n=₉₇). The study revealed that half of the respondents came from outside Yakushima; this percentage was higher among the businesses started after ₂₀₀₃ and lower in the accommodation sector, which requires ownership of land or buildings. The respondents had positive perceptions towards ecotourism by reason of its economic impa cts and positive impacts on their community. Environmental problems such as resource overuse, garbage problem and destruction of mountain trails were some of the negative impacts of ecotourism. There were significant differences in the respondents＇ perceptions of the impacts of ecotourism by their nativity, the type of business and when the business started. However, the community where their businesses are located and their length of residency had no influence on their perceptions. ₂₀₁₂). In Japan, Yakushima is the prime and I Introduction most developed site for ecotourism (Fukami Ecotourism has been defined in many ways and Niki, ₂₀₁₂). Ecotourism was introduced in the tourism and environmental literatures, but to Yakushima from outsid e the island since the no consensus has been made on its definition ₁₉₉₀s with the aim of conserving its natural (Fennell, ₂₀₀₃). Although the definitions vary, environment and at the same time enrich the many include the concepts of protection of nature lives of local people by enhancing their historical and consideration for local people (Goeldner relationship with their surroundings (Hiwasaki, and Ritchie, ₂₀₀₉). Unlike the Western con- ₂₀₀₆, ₂₀₀₇; Kuriyama et al., ₂₀₀₀). cept, Japanese ecotourism＇s emphasis is on The designation of Yakushima as a World revitalization of local communities and concern Heritage Site (WHS) and the increase in its for nature is said to be secondary (Yotsumoto, popularity as an ecotourism destination attracted a large number of tourists and the migration of * Graduate Student, Graduate School of Integrated new residents to the island. New migrants to Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan Yakushima are engaged in tourism and related ** Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan service sectors due to the difficulty in finding ─1 ─ 186 地理科学 71 –4, 2016 employment in the primary sector or obtaining To date, some of the tourism research con- land or fishing rights (Hiwasaki, ₂₀₀₇, p. ₁₁₀). ducted in Yakushima focused on development The case of Yakushima is not an isolated case. It of the tourism industry in Yakushima (Kanetaka has been averred that the hospitality and tourism and Funck, ₂₀₁₂), ecotour guides (Atsumoto et industry is being dominated by small businesses al., ₂₀₀₄; Hirata, ₂₀₀₁; Tajima, ₂₀₀₃; Yotsumoto, (Morrison, ₂₀₀₆). Small businesses are impor- ₂₀₁₂), ecotourism in Yakushima, its characteris- tant for their contribution to the community＇s tics and promotion (Funck, ₂₀₀₉; Hagino, ₂₀₁₁), economic development (Sharma, ₂₀₁₃). community-based tourism (Hiwasaki, ₂₀₀₆), For a tourism destination to be successful, estimation of number of tourists (Shibasaki and understanding the perceptions, attitudes and Nagata, ₁₉₉₉), tourists environmental conserva- concerns of people involved in tourism business tion consciousness, manners, and behavioral and including them in tourism policies, decision- patterns (Baba and Morimata, ₂₀₀₇; Fukami making process and tourism development is and Niki, ₂₀₁₂), and residents awareness of the important (Tosun and Timothy, ₂₀₀₃). The tourism situation in Yakushima (Kanbayashi, personal attributes, motivations and practices of ₂₀₁₁). Although quite a number of tourism entrepreneurs and other economic and socio- researches have been conducted in Yakushima, demographic factors that affect small firms in none has focused on the differences in percep- general has been the focus of most research on tion of people in tourism business about ecotour- tourism businesses (Mensah-Ansah, ₂₀₁₄), with ism in Yakushima based on their demographic little attention paid to their perceptions about characteristics, especially difference between tourism. Relatively few studies have been car- the perception of the natives and non-natives ried out on the perception of people in tourism (native: respondents are of Yakushima origin; business. Andriotis (₂₀₀₅) affirmed that there non-native: those that are not of Yakushima origin are two major methodological approaches in but moved to the island from other parts of Japan the study of community perception and attitude or overseas). Researchers such as Lekovic et to tourism. These approaches include studies al. (₂₀₁₄), McGehee and Andereck (₂₀₀₄), and using a single sample unit, mainly residents, and Sirakaya et al. (₂₀₀₂) have noted that various studies that measure the perceptions of vari- demographic variables influence tourism percep- ous community groups. He further explained tions and support for tourism. that studies using the first approach are more It is therefore necessary to conduct a frequent than those using the second based on survey investigating the influence of various the literature review undertaken where among demographic characteristics on the perception of ₈₈ attitudinal studies, ₈₂ (₉₃.₂%) used a sample tourism entrepreneurs in Yakushima. The aim unit of residents, and only ₆ incorporated in their of this paper is to examine how people in tourism sample two or more community groups. It is business perceive ecotourism and also investigate evident that the topic of people in tourism busi- if their perceptions are influenced by their nativity ness has not received the same attention in single (native or non-native), the year they started living sample units. on the island, community where the business is ─2 ─ ADEWUMI, I. B. and FUNCK, C.: Ecotourism in Yakushima 187 located, type of business, and when the business Ecotourism Society, ₂₀₁₁). The major factor started. that differentiates Japanese ecotourism from Western concepts of ecotourism is that ecotour- II Literature review ism in Japan is used mainly as an instrument to 1) Overview of ecotourism in Japan revitalize local communities (Yotsumoto, ₂₀₁₂). The founding of Japan Ecotourism Society In many countries, the idea of ecotourism is (JES), formerly known as Japan Ecotourism closely connected to properly managing the natu- Promotional Council in ₁₉₉₈ brought about the ral environment and tourism activities in order establishment of promotional organizations in to maintain the land in a sustainable manner, but Iriomote Island, Yakushima Island and Higashi in Japan, the emphasis is often on finding ways Village in Okinawa, among others. In ₂₀₀₃, the to co-exist with nature through interaction with promotion of ecotourism was made a domestic the local environment (Ecotourism Japan, ₂₀₁₀). policy, with three major goals: (₁) to help con- Frid (₂₀₀₈) noted that ecotourism in Japan aims serve natural environments and cultures, (₂) to to activate local economies by providing tourists provide benefits to tourism, and (₃) to contribute with opportunities to experience local attractions to community development. Thirteen locations accompanied by competent interpreters while across Japan were later selected for the Eco- preserving local resources such as natural envi- tourism Model Project conducted between ₂₀₀₄ ronment, the culture and historical heritages. and ₂₀₀₆ (Horikami, ₂₀₁₀; Wang et al., ₂₀₀₉). Ministry of Environment (₂₀₀₇) categorized In ₂₀₀₈, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) ecotourism in Japan into three types: (i) ecotour- enacted the Act on Promotion of Ecotourism. ism that is carried out in rich natural environ- This law enabled prefectures and municipalities ments; (ii) ecotourism that is carried out in mass- to be able to place stricter restrictions on devel- tourism areas; and (iii) ecotourism that utilizes opment activities so as to preserve the natural the natural environment near communities, local environment that was not accounted for in other industries, and cultures of the local people. The national laws in designated areas (Funck and importance of local revitalization in Japanese Cooper, ₂₀₁₃; Yabuta, ₂₀₀₈). The initial uptake ecotourism allows a wider range of tours to be and growth of ecotourism was promising because categorized as ecotourism (Yotsumoto, ₂₀₁₂). the percentage of urbanites familiar with the term Ecotours take place not only in national parks, but ＇eko tsurizumu＇ rose from ₃₃.₃% in ₁₉₉₉ to ₆₃% in also in a wide range of areas including satoyama, ₂₀₀₅ (Japan Ecotourism Society, ₂₀₀₇). satochi, satoumi, and even sometimes right in the JES defines ecotourism as ＂travel that meets middle of big cities (Ecotourism Japan, ₂₀₁₀). and interacts with local attractions
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