Research Proposal Presentation Title

The relationship between the existing Garbage Classification policy and tourism in Shanghai

Student researchers

Guoqing Chen

Zhihua An

Weizhi Wu

What is your research question?

What impacts will the existing Garbage Classification policy in Shanghai have on local tourism? : A study on tourists and local residents in Shanghai

Research proposal keywords or concepts

Garbage Classification policy, Tourism industry, Shanghai

How would you summarize your proposed research idea?

The Garbage Classification Policy of Shanghai was implemented in 2019, which may affect the development of Shanghai in various aspects, such as tourism, but we found that there was still a lack of research on the relationship between this policy and tourism. We want to find potential impacts the existing Garbage Classification Policy has on Shanghai’s tourism. A quantitative research among hotel workers and tourists will be conducted to help exam the variables that we define in survey questions.

Where is the literature gap and how does your proposed research attempt to fill that gap?

Many previous studies (Shen et al.,2019) focused on other factors but ignored the impact of the Garbage Classification Policy itself, and many studies (Liu et al.,2020) on waste separation in China merely done in rural areas rather than cities. By examining the views of hotel workers and visitors about the policy, we may find out what impacts the policy itself may have in urban Shanghai.

Why is this gap worthy of research?

The policy was new, which formally implemented in 2019. It may bring negative effects on the development of Shanghai in various aspects as it brings some inconvenience to residents’ life. The more potential impacts of this policy can be uncovered and we can help improve it through this research.

What future change could this research possibly contribute to, related to sustainability?

Garbage classification is an important mitigation of sustainable development. A mature garbage classification policy can help garbage to be disposed effectively, which can avoid the blockage of garbage in the urban system. It can also help other industries to grow sustainably, such as recycling, tourism, hospitality and construction.

What made your group interested in and/or what excites you about your proposed topic?

We found that littering seems to be a topic of conversation, as China is vigorously promoting garbage sorting policy and the efficient waste separation is an important indicator of a sustainable city. The Garbage Classification can surely alleviate the burden of huge garbage in the city, but we believe that garbage classification policy not only affects the environment, but also the economy and human. We predict that the Garbage Classification policy may lead to the loss of tourists, which will lead to a blow to the tourism industry. We hope to make improvements to this policy through this study.

References

Liu, A., Osewe, M., Wang, H., & Xiong, H. (2020, December 1). Rural residents' awareness of Environmental protection and WASTE Classification behavior IN Jiangsu, China: An empirical analysis. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33271752/

Shen, L., Si, H., Yu, L., & Si, H. (2019, May 15). Factors influencing young people's intention toward municipal solid waste sorting. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/10/1708