Fecha de publicación: 19/11/2024 Fuente: Journal of Sustainable Development Abstract
The coordinated development of tourism and land use form is significant for regional economic growth and ecological security. Therefore, we selected Se Town on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a typical case study area. We classified three stages of tourism-driven rural community development based on industrial income. A comparative analysis of farmers’ land use motivations and behaviours was employed to investigate tourism-driven adaptations in land use from a psychosocial perspective. For this purpose, a dataset comprising 184 questionnaires was analysed, and qualitative data were gathered from 9 respondents through semi-structured interviews to explore the relationship between motivation and behaviour in farmers’ land use practices. The results indicate that tourism development compels farmers to change their agricultural practices, resulting in an increase in forage ecological land use, a reduction in cash crops, and enhanced agricultural production efficiency. These changes are the predominant factors likely to improve the quality of the regional environment. Compared to traditional agricultural zoning, mechanical inputs in ethnic tourism zones increased by 64.01%, the degree of planting specialisation rose from 0.27 to 0.45, and the proportion of forage cultivation escalated from 1.60% to 16.26%. Moreover, the overall inputs of pesticides and fertilisers were reduced by 87.12% and 93.42%, respectively. Furthermore, farmers’ intrinsic motivation has become more apparent, highlights the necessity of a strengthening education on sustainable land use behaviours. This study underscores the importance of contextualising the relationship between motivation and behaviour within regional development frameworks. It aims to enrich policy discussions and decision-making processes concerning environmental management and sustainable development, not only in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau but also in wider context.

Graphical Abstract