Configurations of Market-Oriented Tourism Ecological Compensation: A csQCA Approach

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the antecedent configurations leading to high or non-high marketization of tourism eco-compensation mechanisms. A configurational model was established to precisely understand the causal complex mechanism of institutional factors that drive tourism ecological compensation marketization. The clear set of qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA) with multivariate interactions was applied. Five configurations were identified for the high marketization level and two for the non-high marketization level. The results confirmed that determining natural resource property rights is the premise of the marketized mechanism. It is only on this basis that the value of eco-products can be achieved and that eco-incentives play an effective role. Moreover, government regulation is the fundamental guarantee in the multi-game process. This configurational-based model reveals the causal asymmetry mechanism between a high marketization level and two configurations for a non-high marketization level. This paper suggests that a favorable combination of the government’s role as a supporter and ecological incentives is the main driving force to enhance the marketability of tourism eco-compensation mechanisms.

旅游生态补偿市场化路径的组摘要

本文旨在探讨影响旅游生态补偿市场化程度的前因组态。为准确理解制度因素对旅游生态补偿市场化的影响机理，本文应用清晰集定性比较分析(csQCA)构建了一项反映因果关系复杂机制的结构模型。研究结果梳理出了高市场化水平的五个组态和非高市场化水平的两个组态。同时结论表明;自然资源的确权是市场化机制的前提; 在此基础上，生态产品的价值才能得以实现，生态激励才能有效发挥作用;政府监管是多方博弈过程中的根本保障。本文揭示了高市场化水平与非高市场化水平的两种组态之间存在的因果不对称机制。本文认为，政府以支持者的角色推进生态激励机制是增强旅游生态补偿机制市场化的主要动力。

KEYWORDS:

• Tourism eco-compensation
• marketization
• influencing factors
• configurational perspective
• clear-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA)

关键词:

• 旅游生态补偿
• 市场化
• 影响因素
• 组态分析
• 清晰集定性比较分析

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiumei Xu

Xiumei Xu, is a PhD candidate in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Macao Polytechnic University, Macao SAR, China. Dr. Xu’s research interest is ecotourism.

Lue Li

Lue Li, is a professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Macao Polytechnic University, Macao SAR, China. Professor Li’s research interest is ecological compensation.

Fei Zhang

Fei Zhang, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Tourism and Foreign Languages at the Tibet University, Lhasa, China, and a PhD candidate in School of Information Management at the Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. Dr. Zhang’s research interest is ecotourism.