Building an evaluation framework of environmental interpretation for Chinese geoparks---case study of Yuntaishan World Geopark.

摘要

Environmental interpretation is a key tool for integrated management of tourism, with potential for greater use in managing visitor numbers, behavior and impacts, and enhancing experience. Evaluation is necessary to determine whether interpretation is achieving its goals. It is vital for park managers to know if their management is effective in order to determine what techniques can be used to address a particular problem.;The study first introduces the background of Geoparks, and clarifies the definition of environmental interpretation. Next, the study identifies the context that a comprehensive evaluation framework for environmental interpretation in Geoparks is used in order to help Geopark managers to institute the continuous improvement of environmental interpretation. The detailed objectives include: (1) To build an evaluation framework that can be used by Geoparks to evaluate environmental interpretation; (2) To use the evaluation framework to study Yuntaishan World Geopark; (3) To use the data provided by Yuntaishan World Geopark to identify the perceptions of the visitors; (4) To use the data provided by Yuntaishan World Geopark to identify the perceptions of experts and peers.;In the literature review, the purpose of interpretation evaluation is presented. In addition, the different kinds of interpretation evaluation are discussed, as well as the process, the methods and the criteria of interpretation evaluation.;A "logic model" is being applied to obtain the objectives of Yuntainshan Geopark regarding environmental interpretation. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs model, environmental interpretation can meet the functional needs, social needs and experiential needs which can be seen as the triangle of environmental interpretation evaluation. The hierarchical structure of the evaluation indicator framework is established according to the triangle evaluation model of environmental interpretation, then the indicators of the evaluation are identified and their weights are calculated through Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Then the evaluation indicator framework of environmental interpretation for a Geopark is built. In order to identify who to evaluate, the tripartite evaluation model of environmental interpretation is developed. The study takes Yuntaishan World Geopark as a case to evaluate the status quo of environmental interpretation from three aspects: self-evaluation, visitor evaluation and peer and expert evaluation, and make recommendation for improving the quality of the service.