This study focused on economic and environmental equity in tourism and recreation dependent communities in the U. S. In the economic equity section, research was conducted to do an empirical analysis of the income distribution in nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities. In the environmental equity section, this study evaluated conceptual and theoretical understanding dealing with tourism and the environment and addressed the importance of environmental equity issues. A key objective of this study is to examine economic equity across different income groups and race in nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities. By comparing economic equity between nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities and other industry dependent nonmetropolitan communities, the differences of income inequality between those communities were explored. This study also assesses how tourism and recreation development contributes to economic equity in nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation communities in the U. S. In particular, determinants of income inequality were investigated. Income distribution of nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities is more unequal than that of nonmetropolitan manufacturing dependent communities in the U. S. Tourism and recreation development contributes to increase income inequality while manufacturing related development is likely to reduce income inequality. The positive effect comes from the inequality of earnings in tourism and recreation employment. Race dualism shows a positive relationship with income inequality. This result suggests that the racial difference in income distribution plays an important role in increasing income inequality. There is a positive relationship between the south region and income inequality irrespective of community type and suggest that the regional variable is still an essential component for understanding income inequality in the U.S. This study addresses the need of an environmental justice framework for improving environmental equity across stakeholders in the process of tourism and recreation planning and development. Equity within/between social groups and inter and intra-generational equity should be taken into account for sustainable tourism and recreation development. The analytical framework for assessing environmental equity that this study suggested will be a good foundation for further development of environmental equity framework in the context with tourism and recreation development.

This study focused on economic and environmental equity in tourism and recreation dependent communities in the U. S. In the economic equity section, research was conducted to do an empirical analysis of the income distribution in nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities. In the environmental equity section, this study evaluated conceptual and theoretical understanding dealing with tourism and the environment and addressed the importance of environmental equity issues. A key objective of this study is to examine economic equity across different income groups and race in nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities. By comparing economic equity between nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities and other industry dependent nonmetropolitan communities, the differences of income inequality between those communities were explored. This study also assesses how tourism and recreation development contributes to economic equity in nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation communities in the U. S. In particular, determinants of income inequality were investigated. Income distribution of nonmetropolitan tourism and recreation dependent communities is more unequal than that of nonmetropolitan manufacturing dependent communities in the U. S. Tourism and recreation development contributes to increase income inequality while manufacturing related development is likely to reduce income inequality. The positive effect comes from the inequality of earnings in tourism and recreation employment. Race dualism shows a positive relationship with income inequality. This result suggests that the racial difference in income distribution plays an important role in increasing income inequality. There is a positive relationship between the south region and income inequality irrespective of community type and suggest that the regional variable is still an essential component for understanding income inequality in the U.S. This study addresses the need of an environmental justice framework for improving environmental equity across stakeholders in the process of tourism and recreation planning and development. Equity within/between social groups and inter and intra-generational equity should be taken into account for sustainable tourism and recreation development. The analytical framework for assessing environmental equity that this study suggested will be a good foundation for further development of environmental equity framework in the context with tourism and recreation development.

Public policies in a pluralistic society should be able to clarify and cope with the complicated nature of public issues dominated by ¡§multiple parties, multiple values, and subjective judgment.¡¨ (Farkas & Anderson, 1974) Therefore, instead of merely concluding with the outcome, we should also take input into account when evaluating resource allocation or assessing policy effectiveness. In addition, since the public and the government differ in their judgment criteria and indicators, and multiple parties also have different understandings, the controversy of ¡§inequity¡¨ thus arises. In short, to conduct fairness measurement, we should focus on defining the parties as well as the input and outcome indicators. This research adopted the Public Affairs Management framework to analyze Cijin Seaside Park in Kaohsiung City and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf in New Taipei City. We have conducted a fairness measurement and cross-domain analysis to explore the equity perception in three aspects: economic equity, social fairness, and procedure justice. Moreover, we conducted a secondary data analysis, analyzed expert interviews, and generalized the carrier condition and factual judgment of the PAM framework. Furthermore, we explored the value judgment and interpersonal judgment in PAM framework with fairness measurement of the information integration theory. Our theory is based on the equity rule proposed by Anderson, which also emphasizes the individual and interpersonal comparison of individual input and outcome. Our results are demonstrated as follows: 1. In the individual value analysis of economic equity, both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf have over 10 local stores and tourists that fits one-factor rule of the tourist number factor. 2. In the individual value analysis of social fairness, Cijin Seaside Park has 10 local stores that support one-factor rule of the public support factor. However, Cijin Seaside Park has over eight tourists that fit the adding rule of public support factor and actual request factor, whereas Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf has over eight local stores and tourists that fit the same rule. 3. In individual value analysis of procedure justice, both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf have over 14 local stores and tourists that fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of policy support factor and administrative cooperation factor. 4. In interpersonal comparison of economic equity, the experimental result shows that the local stores and tourists in both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the integration of their tourist number factors. Also, the local stores and tourists in both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the integration of their revenue (consumption) factors. Moreover, the local stores and tourists in both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf both fit the adding rule of their respective tourist number factor and revenue (consumption) factor. This result also supports the ¡§rule of inequity integration.¡¨ 5. In interpersonal comparison of social fairness, the local stores in both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the public support factor. They also fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the actual request factor. As for the tourists, those in both two places fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the public support factor. Also, they fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the actual request factor. 6. In interpersonal comparison of procedure justice, the local stores in both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of policy support factor. They also fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the administrative cooperation factor. As for the tourists, those in both Cijin Seaside Park and Tamshi Fishers¡¦ Wharf fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of policy support factor. Also, they fit the unequal-weight averaging rule of the administrative cooperation factor. We continued to conduct a cross-domain analysis to integrate the above research results, as well as the results of secondary data analysis and expert interviews. As a result, we thereby propose related suggestions and generalize the operation steps of fairness measurement.