• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.59-73
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• 2001

This thesis aims to explore the effects of ecotourism in New Zealand as a foreign area study and investigate spatial implications of ecotourism in geographical context. In addition, this research pursuit to provide effective regional policies for ecotourism in Korea. To achieve the objectives this research carried out literature review before taking field survey in New Zealand. The survey was undertaken for three times in New Zealand. Using the materials such as data collection and interviews, the effects of the ecotourism were investigated. The effects of the ecotourism in New Zealand not only have presented environmental conservation and educational feedbacks to the ecotourists, but also contributed to development of regional economy. In addition, the collaboration of the governmental policies has supported the ecotour environments and active involvement of residents that resulted the effects of the ecotourism in New Zealand. Therefore, the ecotour industry has been able to foster stable economic development in long-term and provide educational opportunities for ecotourists to recap environmental importance. These benefits that the ecotour resources provide have contributed to accomplish the main purposes of the tour industry in New Zealand where natural environment has been identified as the mostly highest priority to be preserved for their tour industry. These effects have led aggressive activities of the ecotour development of central and local governments and local residents The ecotourism in Korea has not still achieved the real benefits which meet environmental conservation, regional economic advantages and educational effects. To obtain the effects, therefore, it needs close collaboration with governmental activities and close involvement of local residents. For this, the case studies of New Zealand present a good examples of how to success the ecotour as a set of tour industrial resource.