Effects of Improving Public Services for Tourism Developments in Islands: The Case of Remote Islands in Nagasaki, Japan
Affiliation(s)
Department of Regional Policy, Faculty of Economics, University of Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Japan.
Department of Regional Policy, Faculty of Economics, University of Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Japan.
ABSTRACT
Growths of numbers of tourists who stay long-term in tourism sites are an important policy for local governments in islands due to their locations that are far from urban areas. However, many tourists hesitate to stay long-term in islands owing to not only the expensive travel costs but also the lack of public services in islands. The purpose of this study is to examine effects of improving public services in islands for tourists’ willingness to pays (WTPs) and non-tourists’ attitudes for long-term stays. Data on tourism activity for islands, Nagasaki, Japan were used. Respondents were asked about their WTPs for long-term stays and their needs for public services of islands; reductions of costs for rent or purchasing houses for long-term stays and travel costs, easy to take a vacation, to enhance medical services, educational services and job search services. The logit model was used for estimations. Median and mean values of WTPs (per year) were calculated JPY 151,629 (USD 1184) and JPY 242,110 (USD 3008). Positive effects on five public services (without travel costs) were confirmed. For example, the median values of WTPs were increased to JPY 478,369 (USD 5943) when the medical services were improved, and JPY 1,484,704 (USD 18,446) when all public services were improved. The results showed that improvement of public services have the effect 1) to improve tourists’ benefits and 2) to change many non-tourists’ attitudes from the rejection of staying long term in islands to the acceptance. Thus, results indicate that it would be better for central and/or local governments in islands to enhance islands’ public services.
Growths of numbers of tourists who stay long-term in tourism sites are an important policy for local governments in islands due to their locations that are far from urban areas. However, many tourists hesitate to stay long-term in islands owing to not only the expensive travel costs but also the lack of public services in islands. The purpose of this study is to examine effects of improving public services in islands for tourists’ willingness to pays (WTPs) and non-tourists’ attitudes for long-term stays. Data on tourism activity for islands, Nagasaki, Japan were used. Respondents were asked about their WTPs for long-term stays and their needs for public services of islands; reductions of costs for rent or purchasing houses for long-term stays and travel costs, easy to take a vacation, to enhance medical services, educational services and job search services. The logit model was used for estimations. Median and mean values of WTPs (per year) were calculated JPY 151,629 (USD 1184) and JPY 242,110 (USD 3008). Positive effects on five public services (without travel costs) were confirmed. For example, the median values of WTPs were increased to JPY 478,369 (USD 5943) when the medical services were improved, and JPY 1,484,704 (USD 18,446) when all public services were improved. The results showed that improvement of public services have the effect 1) to improve tourists’ benefits and 2) to change many non-tourists’ attitudes from the rejection of staying long term in islands to the acceptance. Thus, results indicate that it would be better for central and/or local governments in islands to enhance islands’ public services.
Cite this paper
Okuyama, T. and Ishihara, H. (2015) Effects of Improving Public Services for Tourism Developments in Islands: The Case of Remote Islands in Nagasaki, Japan. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3, 114-126. doi: 10.4236/jss.2015.36018.
Okuyama, T. and Ishihara, H. (2015) Effects of Improving Public Services for Tourism Developments in Islands: The Case of Remote Islands in Nagasaki, Japan. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3, 114-126. doi: 10.4236/jss.2015.36018.
References
[1] Briguglio, L., Filho, W.L., Richard Butler, R. and Harrison, D. (1996) Sustainable Tourism in Islands and Small States: Case Studies, Cassell/Pinter, London. [2] Slinger-Friedman, V. (2009) Ecotourism in Dominica: Studying the Potential for Economic Development, Environmental Protection and Cultural Conservation. Island Studies Journal, 4, 3-24. [3] Eijigelaar, E. and Peeters, P. (2014) Chapter 36. The Global Footprint of Tourism. In: Alan, A.L., Hall, M.C. and Williams, A.M., Eds., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, UK, 454-465. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118474648.ch36 [4] Orams, M.B. and Luck, M. (2014) Chapter 38. Coastal and Marine Tourism Emerging Issues, Future Trends, and Research Priorities. In: Alan, A.L., Hall, M.C. and Williams, A.M., Eds., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, UK, 479-489. [5] Hall, C.M. (2014) Introduction. Tourism and the Environment: Change, Impacts, and Response. In: Alan, A.L., Hall, M.C. and Williams, A.M., Eds., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, UK, 447-453. [6] Cambers, G. (2006) Islanders’ Perspectives on Sustainable Living. Island Studies Journal, 1, 125-142. [7] Kelman, I. (2007) Sustainable Livelihoods from Natural Heritage on Islands. Island Studies Journal, 2, 101-114. [8] Mak, J. (2008) Developing A Dream Destination: Tourism and Tourism Policy Planning in Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press, Hawaii. [9] Muller, D.K. (2004) Second Homes in Sweden: Patterns and Issues. In: Hall, C.M. and Muller, D.K., Eds., Tourism, Mobility and Second Homes: Between Elite Landscape and Common Ground, Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, 244-258. [10] McReynold, A.S. (2014) Community Sustainability in the Year-Round Islands of Maine. Island Studies Journal, 9, 79- 102. [11] Asgary, A., Rezvain, R.M. and Mehregan, N. (2011) Local Residents’ Preference for Second-Home Tourism Development Policies: A Choice Experiment Analysis. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 6, 31-51. [12] Breuer, T. (2005) Retirement Migration or Rather Second Home Tourism? German Senior Citizens on the Canary Islands. DIE ERDE—Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 136, 313-333. [13] Bishop, R.C. and Heberlein, T.A. (1979) Measuring Values of Extra-Market Goods: Are Indirect Measures Biased. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 61, 926-930. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3180348 [14] Haneman, W.M. (1989) Welfare Evaluations in Contingent Valuation Experiments with Discrete Response Reply. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 71, 1057-1061. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1242685 [15] Kristr?m, B. (1990) Valuing Environmental Benefits Using the Contingent Valuation Method: An Economic Analysis. Umea Economic Studies, No. 219, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Umea, Umea. [16] Habb, T.C. and McConell, K.E. (2002) Valuing Environmental and Natural Resources: The Econometrics of Non- Market Valuation. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham. http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781843765431 [17] The Nagasaki Prefectural Government (2013) The Homepage of the Nagasaki Prefectural Government. https://www.pref.nagasaki.jp/ [18] The Bank of Japan (n.d.) A Rate of Exchange in 2012. https://www.boj.or.jp/index.html/ [19] The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2008) A Report on the Possibility and Measure to Make Market with Luring or Transporting to the Region.
http://www.furusatosouken.com/080424nichiiki.pdf
[1] Briguglio, L., Filho, W.L., Richard Butler, R. and Harrison, D. (1996) Sustainable Tourism in Islands and Small States: Case Studies, Cassell/Pinter, London. [2] Slinger-Friedman, V. (2009) Ecotourism in Dominica: Studying the Potential for Economic Development, Environmental Protection and Cultural Conservation. Island Studies Journal, 4, 3-24. [3] Eijigelaar, E. and Peeters, P. (2014) Chapter 36. The Global Footprint of Tourism. In: Alan, A.L., Hall, M.C. and Williams, A.M., Eds., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, UK, 454-465. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118474648.ch36 [4] Orams, M.B. and Luck, M. (2014) Chapter 38. Coastal and Marine Tourism Emerging Issues, Future Trends, and Research Priorities. In: Alan, A.L., Hall, M.C. and Williams, A.M., Eds., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, UK, 479-489. [5] Hall, C.M. (2014) Introduction. Tourism and the Environment: Change, Impacts, and Response. In: Alan, A.L., Hall, M.C. and Williams, A.M., Eds., The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, UK, 447-453. [6] Cambers, G. (2006) Islanders’ Perspectives on Sustainable Living. Island Studies Journal, 1, 125-142. [7] Kelman, I. (2007) Sustainable Livelihoods from Natural Heritage on Islands. Island Studies Journal, 2, 101-114. [8] Mak, J. (2008) Developing A Dream Destination: Tourism and Tourism Policy Planning in Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press, Hawaii. [9] Muller, D.K. (2004) Second Homes in Sweden: Patterns and Issues. In: Hall, C.M. and Muller, D.K., Eds., Tourism, Mobility and Second Homes: Between Elite Landscape and Common Ground, Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, 244-258. [10] McReynold, A.S. (2014) Community Sustainability in the Year-Round Islands of Maine. Island Studies Journal, 9, 79- 102. [11] Asgary, A., Rezvain, R.M. and Mehregan, N. (2011) Local Residents’ Preference for Second-Home Tourism Development Policies: A Choice Experiment Analysis. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 6, 31-51. [12] Breuer, T. (2005) Retirement Migration or Rather Second Home Tourism? German Senior Citizens on the Canary Islands. DIE ERDE—Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 136, 313-333. [13] Bishop, R.C. and Heberlein, T.A. (1979) Measuring Values of Extra-Market Goods: Are Indirect Measures Biased. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 61, 926-930. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3180348 [14] Haneman, W.M. (1989) Welfare Evaluations in Contingent Valuation Experiments with Discrete Response Reply. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 71, 1057-1061. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1242685 [15] Kristr?m, B. (1990) Valuing Environmental Benefits Using the Contingent Valuation Method: An Economic Analysis. Umea Economic Studies, No. 219, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Umea, Umea. [16] Habb, T.C. and McConell, K.E. (2002) Valuing Environmental and Natural Resources: The Econometrics of Non- Market Valuation. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham. http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781843765431 [17] The Nagasaki Prefectural Government (2013) The Homepage of the Nagasaki Prefectural Government. https://www.pref.nagasaki.jp/ [18] The Bank of Japan (n.d.) A Rate of Exchange in 2012. https://www.boj.or.jp/index.html/ [19] The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2008) A Report on the Possibility and Measure to Make Market with Luring or Transporting to the Region.
http://www.furusatosouken.com/080424nichiiki.pdf