DEEP ECOTOURISM EXPLOITATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW XANADU
YU Li-xin1,2, SUN Gen-nian1
1. College of Tourism and Environment Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China;
2. Tourism Management Department, Xi'an University of Finance and Economics, Xi'an 710061, China
Abstract Ecology is a kind of relationship between biota and its surrounding environment,thus the combined word "ecotourism" requires the harmony of all factors involved in tourist activities,and it also implies culture and wisdom of nature.Based on such cognition,a notion of deep ecotourism exploitation is put forward which includes two connotations.On one hand,it should give prominence to the presentation of the eco-culture of the tourist destination and the eco-experience of the tourists;on the other hand,it implies the high harmony among the tourist entrepreneurs and the tourists,the local governments and the local residents,as well as the tourist activities and the ecological environment in the tourism exploitation for the multilateral reaps of every elements involved.The common sense is that the degrees a certain tourism destination or tourist activity would reach would differ and consequently four levels of ecotourism are divided.They are very shallow ecotourism,shallow ecotourism,deep ecotourism and very deep ecotourism.The differences between shallow ecotourism and deep ecotourism is discussed,which lie in four aspects,the concept of tourist planning and exploitation,the contradictions need to solve during the exploitation,the aim of tourism and concerning cultural ideas,and the measurement system of tourism values.To promote shallow ecotourism to deep one,two models of "four subjects and two wings" and "connecting the two wings" of deep ecotourism exploitation system are introduced.The former is to the eco-tourists and tourist entrepreneurs on both wings of the ecotourism system with the four subjects of the system as local government,local residents,tourist supporting system and the environment in between,which emphasizes on the harmony of the ecotourism system.The latter is a further analysis of the two wings and shows how to connect them.This model is to present the eco-culture and beneficial to the community of the ecotourism destination.The ultimate purpose of deep ecotourism exploitation is to build an ideal new Xanadu which derives from Tao Yuanming's thoughts,and describe a beautiful,harmonious,developed and convenient tourist destination which is far from pollution and noisy metropolis.
2007, Vol. 22 
