River recreational safety contains both leisure and environmental conservation functions. The temperature of Taiwan in summer is increasing recently. More people like to join the water recreation; unfortunately many drowning accidents happened while people go on water recreation. The purpose of this research was to study tourists’ attitudes toward environmental conservation and river recreational safety to increase water recreational safety. Four hundred thirty people were selected in this cross-sectional, descriptive study by using a structured questionnaire. Four hundred and three valid data were used to analyze as the results, the valid corresponding rate was 93.72%. The surveys were conducted during the period of February to March 2011. The results of this study were the followings: 1. The surveyed tourists had good cognitions of environmental conservation and river recreational safety. 2. The surveyed tourists had less knowledge on rivers with most drowning accidents happened and the reasons for rivers with most drowning accidents happened in Taiwan. 3. The surveyed tourists had middle level attitudes of environmental conservation and river recreational safety. 4. The relationship between the demographic data of surveyed tourists and their environmental conservation attitudes. a. Female surveyed tourists had better environmental conservation attitudes than males’. b. Over 25 year-old surveyed tourists had better environmental conservation attitudes than less 25 year-old ones. 5. The relationship between the demographic data of surveyed tourists and their river recreational safety attitudes. a. Female surveyed tourists had better river recreational safety attitudes than males’. b. Over 25 year-old surveyed tourists had better river recreational safety attitudes than less 25 year-old ones. 6. The better swimming abilities of the surveyed tourists were the better water rescue capabilities of ones were. 7. The better environmental conservation cognitions of the surveyed tourists were the better river recreational safety of ones were.
Regarding to the results of this research, related Governments or schools are suggested to enforce the knowledge and implementation of environmental conservation and river recreational safety.
