With the continued efforts to promote ecotourism in the village, tourists are flocking in like a tide, bringing unprecedented development opportunities. However, like every coin with two sides, the booming development of ecotourism is also accompanied by a series of severe challenges, like hidden reefs that could at any moment cause the ship sailing on the sea of ​​development to run aground. Standing at the entrance of the village, Lin Yue looked at the bustling tourists, feeling both gratified and deeply worried. She knew that the road ahead was long and arduous.
The dramatic increase in tourist numbers immediately presented the challenge of controlling visitor numbers. During peak tourist season, every inch of the village seemed to be filled with tourists. Narrow village roads were teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder, making it difficult for tourists to even walk, let alone appreciate the scenery. The once peaceful and tranquil village was now filled with noise and shouts, losing its former serenity. According to incomplete statistics, during one May Day holiday, the village received more than ten times the usual number of tourists per day, placing immense pressure on the small village. Lin Yue realized that if this continued, not only would the tourists' experience be greatly diminished, but the village's ecological environment would also be overburdened. Therefore, she urgently convened a meeting with villagers and tourism staff to discuss countermeasures. After intense discussion, they decided to implement a tourist reservation system.
To attract tourists during weekdays and off-seasons, the village offers a series of discounted packages and special activities. For example, a "Weekday Leisure Tour" package is offered to working professionals from surrounding cities, including one night's accommodation in a log cabin, a farm-style meal, and an eco-tourism experience, with prices reduced by about 40% compared to weekends and peak seasons. Additionally, themed events are held during the off-season, such as the "Mountain Village Ice and Snow Festival" in winter, where visitors can participate in skiing, ice sculpting, and other activities. These measures have led to a certain increase in tourist numbers during weekdays and off-seasons. Statistics show that in the first off-season after implementing the discount strategy, tourist numbers increased by about 30% compared to the same period last year. During holidays and peak tourist seasons, raising tourism product prices has become the main control measure. For example, during the May Day and National Day holidays, log cabin accommodation prices increased by about 50%, and eco-tourism route ticket prices increased by about 30%. At the same time, a strict tourist reservation system is implemented, limiting the number of visitors allowed into the village each day based on its capacity. Through these measures, tourist numbers during peak seasons have been effectively controlled, significantly reducing the pressure on the village's reception capacity and improving the tourist experience.
Maintaining ecological balance is a core challenge in the development of ecotourism. With the influx of tourists, villages are facing unprecedented pressure on their natural resources. In the mountains, some tourists trample on vegetation to pick wild flowers and fruits, damaging the growth of some plants. In the rivers, litter discarded by tourists and overfishing have destroyed the habitat of aquatic life. Streams that were once crystal clear and teeming with fish are now murky, and the number of fish has significantly decreased. Lin Yue saw this and felt deeply distressed. She led the members of the ecological protection team to strengthen patrols in the scenic area and set up more warning signs in key areas such as mountains and rivers to remind tourists to protect the environment and practice civilized tourism.
For forest ecosystems, the focus of protection is on vegetation preservation and forest fire prevention. In addition to setting up warning signs, the number of forest protection personnel has been increased, and during peak tourist seasons, they patrol regularly every day to prevent fires caused by tourists smoking, cooking, etc. Furthermore, damaged vegetation areas have been closed off and replanted; in recent years, thousands of saplings of various types have been replanted, and forest vegetation coverage is gradually recovering. Regarding river ecosystems, on the one hand, public education for tourists has been strengthened, prohibiting littering and overfishing in rivers. Multiple garbage collection points have been set up along riverbanks, and personnel are assigned to regularly clean up river debris. On the other hand, in cooperation with the fisheries department, a reasonable fishing plan has been developed, allowing fishing activities to be carried out moderately while protecting the reproduction of aquatic organisms. For example, all fishing is strictly prohibited during the fish breeding season, while at other times, the types and quantities of fish caught are limited. For agricultural ecosystems, the main focus is on preventing tourists from trampling on and picking crops. Fences have been erected around farmland, and farmers have been assigned to guard the areas. At the same time, a "farmland sightseeing experience" activity was launched, guiding tourists to experience agricultural activities in designated areas, which not only met the needs of tourists but also protected the farmland.
The carrying capacity of tourism facilities is also a pressing issue. Although a number of ecotourism facilities have been built, they are still insufficient to cope with the influx of tourists. Wooden cabins are often fully booked during peak season, forcing many tourists to stay in makeshift tents with very basic accommodations. Eco-friendly toilets are also overcrowded, with questionable hygiene. The visitor center is also extremely crowded, with staff working tirelessly but still unable to meet the needs of tourists. Lin Yue is deeply concerned. She is actively raising funds to expand and upgrade the existing tourism facilities.
In upgrading the capacity of tourism facilities, Lin Yue engaged in challenging negotiations and collaborations with builders and equipment suppliers. When discussing the expansion project of wooden cabins with the builders, Lin Yue detailed the village's tourism plan and design requirements for the cabins, emphasizing adherence to eco-friendly principles and the use of local renewable timber resources. The builders provided a preliminary budget and construction plan, but the price exceeded Lin Yue's expectations. Through repeated discussions, Lin Yue pointed out the village's significant tourism development potential and how long-term cooperation would bring more business opportunities to the builders, hoping they could reduce costs. After several rounds of negotiations, the builders finally agreed to reduce the budget by approximately 15% while maintaining quality. When collaborating with equipment suppliers to procure eco-friendly toilet equipment and visitor service center facilities, Lin Yue conducted detailed research and comparisons of products from different suppliers. She requested equipment suppliers to provide information on equipment performance parameters, maintenance costs, and after-sales service. During negotiations, Lin Yue focused on cost-effectiveness, explaining the village's tourism scale and development prospects to the suppliers, securing more favorable purchase prices and more comprehensive after-sales service terms. For example, when purchasing environmentally friendly toilet equipment, they successfully reduced the equipment price by about 20% and obtained three years of free maintenance services.
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