Analysis of wildlife tourism experiences with endangered species: An exploratory study of encounters with giant pandas in Chengdu, China

Abstract

This research examined wildlife tourism experiences in a unique site and species combination: giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (CRBGPB) in Sichuan, China. Content analysis was undertaken on tourist reviews of CRBGPB on TripAdvisor.com in early 2012. The thematic analysis qualitative method was adopted in examining respondents' written reviews of experiences interacting with giant pandas. ROST CM6 and NVivo 8 were used for the content analysis and qualitative coding.
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\nA variety of tourist experiences, motivations, and preferences were revealed. Although respondents' experiences were varied, satisfaction increased with closer encounters and interactions with the giant pandas. The thematic analysis identified three features of the wildlife tourism experiences at CRBGPB: tourists, giant pandas, and settings. Implications and management recommendations were identified for sites offering wildlife tourism experiences.