Ecological compensation standards of national scenic spots in western China: A case study of Taibai Mountain

• Published in: Tourism management (1982) 2020-02, Vol.76, p.103950, Article 103950
• Main Authors: Yang, Yi, Yao, Congxu, Xu, Delong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological capacity; Ecological compensation; Taibai mountain scenic spot; Touristic ecological footprint
• ISSN: 0261-5177; 1879-3193
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2019.103950

One of the impacts of tourism activities on national scenic spots in western China is that local residents have lost some of their rights to benefit from natural resources. The establishment of reasonable ecological compensation standards is an important means of addressing the contradicting interests of stakeholders. Using the ecological footprint (EF) method, the compensation standard for local residents is determined based on a measurement of the touristic ecological footprint (TEF) of the Taibai Mountain scenic spot (TMSS) and the EF of Tangyu Town. The results show that the TEF of the TMSS in 2015 was 13,803.66 ha, the EF and the biological capacity (BC) of Tangyu Town were 83,879.71 ha and 61,722.96 ha, respectively. Thus, the per capita ecological compensation standard is USD 465.76. This study proposes measures to reduce the TEF, improve the implementation of the compensation mechanism and effectively raise funds for ecological compensation. •One of the impacts of tourism is that local residents have no access to benefits brought by natural resources.•Reasonable ecological compensation standard is essential for addressing the contradictory interests of stakeholders.•The touristic ecological footprint of food is the biggest contributor to the touristic ecological footprint.•The per capita ecological compensation standard for Tangyu Town residents was USD 465.76 in 2015.•The compensation standard should be adjusted once a year according to the actual situation.