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Attaining harmony: understanding the relationship between ecotourism and protected areas in China

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 09:56 authored by Xu, H, Cui, Q, Sofield, T, Li, FMS
This paper explores the power of both traditional culture and modernity, their interaction, and ecotourism as defined and developed in China, and suggests a new framework for ecotourism policies. It argues that issues in ecotourism should reflect scientific and empirical evidence, but also integrate traditional Chinese cultural beliefs, and political and social factors, to achieve sustainability. The protected area system, central to ecotourism in China, was introduced by government to bring modernity and globalization. The management model follows western values, tending to separate humans from nature for conservation purposes, using institutionalized western zoning systems. This approach is inconsistent with millennia-old Chinese cultural values about relationships between nature and humans, centred around tian ren he yi – humans and nature as a unified entity. Instead of managing conflicts, attaining harmony (in a subjective experiential way) is the fundamental Chinese approach. The paper explores conflicts between the two value systems, and how Confucian “middle ways” are being crafted to balance the fast-growing special needs of Chinese eco-tourists with the top-down regulation of protected areas. It notes new developments in protected area tourism management in the West, and opportunities to blend Chinese traditional values about harmony with evolving western practice.

History

Publication title

Journal of Sustainable Tourism

Volume

22

Issue

8

Pagination

1131-1150

ISSN

0966-9582

Department/School

TSBE

Publisher

Routledge

Place of publication

United Kingdon

Rights statement

Copyright 2014 Taylor & Francis

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Tourism services not elsewhere classified

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