LAUSR

ABSTRACT Tourism is a common social behaviour, and is classified differently according to its purpose or destination. Plant-viewing tourism (PVT) and its impact on destinations has been studied; however, research on flower-viewing tourism (FVT) is still deficient. This study investigates the impact of FVT on the perceptions and attitudes of residents in Chengdu city. A questionnaire survey was conducted involving 305 residents. A total of 17 items representing three main dimensions (environmental, economic, and socio-cultural) of explanatory factors were considered after exploratory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationship between these dimensions and the attitudes of residents. Results show that residents’ positive attitudes towards FVT were associated with the positive response of economic and environmental impacts, but no significant correlation was found between socio-cultural impacts and attitudes. Results are discussed and analyzed in-depth, and three conclusions and policy recommendations of this study are proposed. These results can provide suggestions for future development in cities, formulation of tourism policies, and promotion of sustainable tourism development in the region.