自從2008年政府開放大陸遊客來臺後，國際來臺遊客人數大幅上升，其中以大陸遊客成長速度最快；另一方面，國內國人遊客人數也逐年提升。大量遊客人數對於熱門景點除了會造成環境資源影響，也會影響遊客間的擁擠知覺(crowding perception)，進而產生調適行為(coping behavior)。
本研究以阿里山森林遊樂區為調查地點，並將影響擁擠知覺的因素分為四個構面：（一）環境特性，包含整體旅客數、資源充份性、環境品質與空間設計；（二）其他旅客特性，包含其他遊客現地行為；（三）旅次特性，包含此次旅行特性、停留時間、同行人數、旅遊型態、動機、預期遊客人數與正向擁擠認知；（四）個人特性，包含性別、年齡、教育程度、主要職業、家庭平均年收入、居住地、過去旅行經驗、相似度概念。另外，遊客感受到擁擠感所產生的調適行為可分成時間替代、資源替代、絕對替代、合理化與直接行動。
本研究目的為（一）探討在高密度使用人數之觀光景點中，影響擁擠知覺的因素，（二）比較大陸遊客、外籍遊客與國內遊客對於擁擠知覺程度的差異，（三）探討擁擠知覺是否影響調適行為，（四）面對日益增長的遊客數，了解大陸遊客、外籍遊客與國內遊客對於調適反應的差異。
研究結果發現預期遊客人數、正向擁擠認知、其他遊客現地行為、整體旅客數、資源充份性、年齡與旅遊型態等七個變數皆顯著影響擁擠知覺；且擁擠知覺會正向影響遊客產生調適行為的機率。臺灣遊客的擁擠知覺明顯高於外籍遊客與大陸遊客，同時，臺灣遊客產生調適行為的比例也高於大陸與外籍遊客。當遊客面臨擁擠時，臺灣遊客會趨向縮短在此地停留時間、避免靠近人多的地方，且較不會推薦他人拜訪阿里山森林遊樂區；而大陸遊客則較會將遊客過多的狀況發表在社群網站上。
本研究建議管理單位可以加強宣導並禁止遊客負面行為，並擴建自小客車停車場、增設公用廁所數量及座位空間，並進行自由行遊客與團體遊客分流，讓遊客在阿里山森林遊樂區感受較不擁擠，進而提升遊憩體驗，增加遊客再次到訪意願。

China has recently become the number one source market for international tourism expenditures, reporting an average annual growth rate of 20% in outbound travel from 2010 to 2012. While Taiwan is making considerable efforts to compete for a share of this market, there is also a growing need for a detailed examination of the impacts of Chinese tourists on the Taiwan society. One effect has been an increasing level of crowding in many tourist destinations on the island.
The main purpose of this research is thus to examine the crowding perceptions and the coping behaviors of Chinese inbound tourists, other foreigners, and domestic tourists at an nature-oriented tourism attraction site in Taiwan. Taiwan received a total of 0.3 million tourists from Mainland China in 2008 and increased to 2.9 million in 2013, with an annual growth rate of 66%, thus providing a good context to examine issues related crowding. This paper divided the factors that influence crowding perceptions into four dimensions: situational characteristics, characteristics of others, trip characteristics, and personal characteristics. In addition, the variables related to coping behaviors were divided into temporal substitution, resource substitution, absolute displacement and rationalization and reflective substitution.
We used an on-site questionnaire to collect the data, and then analyzed this using multiple regression, binary logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression. The results showed that the tourists’ expectations, good crowding perception, on-site behavior of others tourists, number of tourists admitted, resource availability, age and type of travel arrangement were valid determinants of crowding perceptions. The results also indicated that Taiwanese tourists’ crowding perceptions were significantly higher than those of Mainland Chinese and foreign tourists. Similarly, the proportion of Taiwan tourists engaging in coping behaviors was significantly higher than that seen with Mainland Chinese and foreign tourists. When domestic tourists feel that a place is more crowded, they leave earlier, avoid such places and do not recommend the attraction to others. In contrast, when Mainland Chinese tourists feel more crowded, they share negative information about the crowded conditions through social media. Foreign tourists were found with no specific coping behavior.
The results of this study can be used to develop more effective managerial strategies and assist in the forecasting of possible temporal and spatial displacements that may occur in response to increasing demand at tourist sites in Taiwan. The value of this research lies in its consideration of the emerging Chinese outbound market to many Asian destinations, and the importance of managing crowding issues in tourism setting.

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