Significance and Problems of Ecotourism in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture: Focusing on the Participation Awareness of Ecotour Guides

Abstract

To clarify the significance and problems of regional development through the promotion of ecotourism in the city of Hanno, Saitama prefecture, this study aimed to understand the rationale for the introduction of ecotourism and the reasons why guides participate in it. Differences in the awareness of participating local residents were analyzed from the perspective of their attributes and regional characteristics. Hanno has two areas with distinctive regional features: the eastern area located on the outskirts of the Tokyo metropolitan area has many characteristics of a commuter town; and in the midwestern area the population is shrinking and aging due to the waning of the forestry industry. Ecotour guides in the eastern area tend to cite social effects such as “motivation in life” or “joy” as the reasons why they participate in the tours, rather than the pursuit of economic benefits. Guides in the midwestern area, however, tend to have a strong awareness of crisis surrounding the continued existence of their local community and expect that the economic benefits from the tours will reduce the population decline and encourage youth to stay in the area. Thus, regional differences are observed in the participation awareness of ecotour guides. A number of low-priced ecotours are conducted, reflecting ecotour guides’ intentions to achieve social effects. The tours have also advanced communication within and outside Hanno, which does not have specific tourism resources. Although this is of great significance, it did not match the ecotour guides’ expectations of economic effects.