A phenomenological explication of guanxi in rural tourism management: A case study of a village in China

Drawing on hermeneutic phenomenology in tourism studies as well as Heidegger's concept of being-in-the-world, this paper reveals how tourism can and should be done in a Chinese rural village. This research contributes a contextual interpretation of guanxi in Chinese rural tourism development through an empirical study of a traditional agricultural village in China that has been transformed through tourism development. The paper argues that for the Chinese indigenous residents who are the primary actors engaged in tourism, guanxi is, neither a Confucian political ideal nor an instrumental tool, but the specific manner in which they dwell in their place. It demonstrates how the tourist destination, landscape and managerial regulation have been modified and adapted in a guanxi way. The paper suggests that an emic understanding of guanxi and the roles it plays in tourism participants' daily life is warranted and can provide a more holistic picture of tourism development in rural China.     

旅游驱动乡村社会重构的特征与机制研究——以湖州顾渚村为例

乡村旅游是推动乡村重构的重要驱动力量,乡村社会重构是乡村重构研究的重要内容。本文以典型旅游村落湖州市顾渚村为案例地,从乡村居民视角出发,分析乡村社会重构的特征,并通过扎根理论方法构建了旅游驱动下乡村社会重构机制理论模型。结果表明：（1）乡村旅游发展改变了乡村居民的原有身份,乡村居民从农民、打工者转变为旅游经营者,实现了社会身份的重构。（2）乡村旅游发展带来了大量外来人员进入乡村,乡村社会关系格局逐渐从“差序格局”转变为“多元格局”,实现了社会关系的重构。（3）乡村旅游发展使乡村居民与乡村环境之间的关系发生改变,乡村从传统乡土社区转变为旅游服务社区,实现了社会空间的重构。（4）旅游要素的介入是旅游乡村社会重构最重要的驱动力量,乡村经济重构、乡村空间重构、资源环境驱动、旅游市场驱动、政策制度驱动、行为主体参与6个方面分别构成了乡村社会重构的空间载体、物质基础、支撑机制、引导机制、促进/约束机制和引擎机制,各作用机制之间相互影响、动态耦合共同推动了乡村社会的重构。     

Tourism development and the tourism area life-cycle model: A case study of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

The conceptual framework of the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) has been frequently examined since it was first proposed by Butler in 1980. However, few studies have applied the concept to national parks and other protected areas. This paper examines the applicability of the model to China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. In addition, both external and internal factors affecting the park's tourism development as well as the environmental, social, and economic changes of the area are also discussed. Results indicate that the park has experienced the first four stages as described in Butler's 1980 seminal paper [The concept of a tourist area cycle of evolution: Implications for management of resources. Canadian Geographer, 24, 5–12]. Currently, the park is in the consolidation stage. Both governments and the private sector are major players as catalysts for the park's tourism development from one stage to the next. While the local or even regional economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism, the park has also been experiencing noticeable transformation and loss of traditional cultures since its inception in 1982. Finally limitations to the current paper are outlined.