Ethnic tourism development:: Chinese Government Perspectives

Ethnic tourism is often used by governments to facilitate development and to preserve heritage. This paper examines the relationship between government and tourism in Xishuangbanna, China. Different levels of government play key but different roles in development through regulation of production, consumption, and investment. Their policies and decisions tend to create tensions when they promote tourism as a regional development strategy as a result of contradictions in regulations, ethnic rights, and relationships with entrepreneurs. It is concluded that more nuanced government policies could mitigate many of the issues. Future tourism planning should provide greater control of tourism by local ethnic people, cultural preservation, and public participation in decision-making processes.