Study on Differences between Inside and Outside of Rural Communities in Impressions and Awareness of Local Landscapes

Towards Development of Effective Information Communication Purposing Increase of Tourists

Abstract

In recent years, it has become more convenient for disadvantageous rural areas to disseminate regional information, such as images featuring beautiful landscapes, through new communication media like social media. However, if the impressions of the landscapes differ between local residents and nonresidents, the locality's beauty is not conveyed effectively. In this study, we focused on the differences of impressions and awareness of rural landscapes between local residents and nonresidents through comparative analysis using questionnaire. Results show that there are significant differences in impressions and awareness between local residents and nonresidents. We suggest that wide angle images taken from high vantage points, historical sites and other areas which are sometimes considered unattractive by locals are effective to attract outside visitors.