Challenges of the Mount Ibuki donation system based on the awareness for donation of visitors using different routes

The movement to make visitors to natural areas contribute to the costs of managing resources and maintaining facilities has been gaining momentum. This study aimed to examine the nature of the donation system by focusing on a case where different routes could be used. The donation system at Mount Ibuki, which is a part of the Biwako Quasi-National Park, was studied. There are two types of visitor routes to the summit: the mountain trail and the Ibukiyama-driveway. The Nature Restoration Council introduced donations at Mount Ibuki in 2015. The basic amount was set at JPY 300 per person and has been collected voluntarily. Questionnaire surveys were used to investigate visitors’ attitudes on October 31 and November 1, 2020. We distributed 1907 questionnaire sheets and received 536 responses. It was found that donations rates varied greatly depending upon the route used. Considering that driveway users feel a sense of responsibility for environmental impact and want to enjoy nature, there is a significant difference in the average donation per person by each route. The fairness of the system is debatable. It is necessary to promote and educate the public about the usage characteristics of different routes.