Abstract
In comparison with coastal zones, islands are even more vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance, especially to
tourism and tourism-induced activities. Despite a great number of studies on either island tourism or island
vulnerability reviewed in this paper, knowledge and practice of the impact from tourism upon island ecological
vulnerability (IEV) still needs to be expanded. In this contribution, the IEV of four administrative regions in
Zhoushan, China is assessed between 2012 and 2017 based on an “exposure (E)-sensitivity (S)-adaptive capacity
(A)” framework and by means of coupling coordination degree modeling (CCDM) for determination of the
overall development level of E-S-A subsystems in each region. The assessment results show that: (1) An index
system consisting of 1 objective, 3 sub-objectives, 7 elements, and 20 indicators can be established and tested to
reflect the IEV to tourism; (2) As the most attractive tourist destinations, Shengsi and Putuo inevitably have the
highest IEV values; (3) Dinghai’s moderate low level of IEV comes as a surprise, due to its direct connectivity to
its neighboring coastal city of Ningbo; (4) The more balanced the coupling coordination degree (CCD) values
among E-S-A subsystems are, the higher the IEV values in the four tourist destinations of Zhoushan. In conclusion,
tourism can be a double-edged sword for islands, the overall benefits of which outweigh the negative
impacts upon island ecological conditions
tourism and tourism-induced activities. Despite a great number of studies on either island tourism or island
vulnerability reviewed in this paper, knowledge and practice of the impact from tourism upon island ecological
vulnerability (IEV) still needs to be expanded. In this contribution, the IEV of four administrative regions in
Zhoushan, China is assessed between 2012 and 2017 based on an “exposure (E)-sensitivity (S)-adaptive capacity
(A)” framework and by means of coupling coordination degree modeling (CCDM) for determination of the
overall development level of E-S-A subsystems in each region. The assessment results show that: (1) An index
system consisting of 1 objective, 3 sub-objectives, 7 elements, and 20 indicators can be established and tested to
reflect the IEV to tourism; (2) As the most attractive tourist destinations, Shengsi and Putuo inevitably have the
highest IEV values; (3) Dinghai’s moderate low level of IEV comes as a surprise, due to its direct connectivity to
its neighboring coastal city of Ningbo; (4) The more balanced the coupling coordination degree (CCD) values
among E-S-A subsystems are, the higher the IEV values in the four tourist destinations of Zhoushan. In conclusion,
tourism can be a double-edged sword for islands, the overall benefits of which outweigh the negative
impacts upon island ecological conditions
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 106247 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Ecological Indicators |
| Volume | 113 |
| Issue number | 103 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [grant numbers 71774042 , 71532004 ]; National Key Research and Development Program of China [grant number 2017YFB1401800 ]; and the Young Teacher Development Fund from Harbin Institute of Technology , Weihai, China.
Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Research programs
- SAI 2008-06 BACT