POTENTIAL FOR UTILIZING NATIONAL TRUST MOVEMENT TO PRESERVE TOURISM RESOURCES: A CASE STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AND SOUTH KOREA

Abstract

The tourism industry should consider the preservation of natural and cultural resources because these resources are important as attractions or background to attractions in many popular travel destinations. Regarding environmental conservation and preservation, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as national trusts (NTs) or land trusts (LTs) are playing a major role. Therefore, it was assumed that the members of the NT/LT movement and tourism entities may make good partners in natural and cultural resource preservation and sustainable tourism development. Unpublished secondary data review and in-depth interview skills were utilized to investigate detailed collaborative cases involving tourism entities and LTs in the U.S, and tourism entities and NTs in Japan, and South Korea. The U.S. LTs, Japanese NTs, and Korean NTs mentioned various types of partnership with tourism entities. They explained the cases of partnership with the purpose of fundraising, public relations, direct land and cultural resource conservation, member’s benefits, and mutual advocacy. NT/LT organizations have begun to consider tourism as their partner for promoting natural and cultural resource preservation. Moreover, tourism has begun to recognize the value in promoting natural and cultural resource awareness, as a means of preserving tourism resources. The results from this study emphasize the convergent needs and goals of LTs/NTs and tourism regarding natural resource conservation. In a cooperative arrangement, the partnership between LTs/NTs and tourism entities would diversify revenue sources and increase public awareness.