Attitude of tourists visiting nature reserves in China

Nature reserves introduce biodiversity to visitors for their enjoyment by pursuing the goal of raising awareness for conservation. It is often hoped that satisfied visitors are likely to adopt the conservation message. This study is about tourists visiting Cangshan Mountains Nature Reserve (CMNR), China and their satisfaction. From a sample of 50 such visitors, 74% expressed satisfied, but an improvement of the tourist provisions would generate the willingness to pay a 3-10 times higher entrance fee. For example, 94% of tourists would appreciate an education center featuring ecological protection and local ethnic culture. We concluded that establishment of an education center on-site in addition to distribution of flyers and signposts would improve satisfaction with the visit, and thus better promote a conservation message. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.