Evaluating the relaxation effects of emerging forest-therapy tourism: A multidisciplinary approach |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Food and Resource Economics, Chiba University, Japan;2. Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Japan;3. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan |
| |
Abstract: | Considering the increasing demand for rural areas to play a role in easing stress mainly experienced by urban dwellers, we investigated from a multidisciplinary collaborative approach, i.e., physiological, psychological, and rural business management perspectives, the relaxation effects of forest-therapy tourism, an emerging type of rural tourism, on a group of urban office workers. Also investigated were conditions necessary for a sustainable rural business in Chizu, western Japan. First, the results verified physiological and psychological relaxation effects, which lasted from three to five days after forest therapy. The lasting physiological and psychological effects among those with systolic blood pressure ≥120 mmHg, however, were weaker than in the entire sample. Second, due to the ageing and depopulation of the local community, increasing the number of households that provided home stay services was difficult. In summary, it is necessary to fully integrate scientific evidence to support a viable new rural tourism business. |
| |
Keywords: | Forest therapy tourism Relaxation Rural resource-based tourism Physiological effects Subjective scoring Preventive health effects |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|