Planning For Ethnic Tourism

Ethnic tourism has emerged as a means that is employed by many countries to facilitate economic and cultural development and to assist in the preservation of ethnic heritage. However, while ethnic tourism has the potential to bring economic and social benefits it can also significantly impact traditional cultures, ways of life and the sense of identity of ethnic groups. There is growing concern in many places about how to balance the use of ethnicity as a tourist attraction with the protection of minority cultures and the promotion of ethnic pride. Despite the fact that a substantial literature is devoted to the impacts of ethnic tourism, little research has been done on how to plan ethnic tourism attractions or to manage community impacts of tourism. This book addresses the need for more research on planning for ethnic tourism by exploring the status and enhancement of planning strategies for ethnic tourism development. The book develops the case of a well-known ethnic tourist destination in China -Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. It analyzes how ethnic tourism has been planned and developed at the study site and examines associated socio-cultural and planning issues. The authors evaluate the perspectives of four key stakeholder groups (the government, tourism entrepreneurs, ethnic minorities and tourists) on ethnic tourism through on-site observation, interviews with government officials, planners and tourism entrepreneurs, surveys of tourists and ethnic minority people, and evaluation of government policies, plans and statistics. This book is unique in its emphasis on planning and in its focus on China, rapidly emerging as a major player in tourism, with applications for tourism around the world.

There is growing concern in many places about how to balance the use of ethnicity as a tourist attraction with the protection of minority cultures and the promotion of ethnic pride. Despite the fact that a substantial literature is devoted to the impacts of ethnic tourism, little research has been done on how to plan ethnic tourism attractions or to manage community impacts of tourism. This book addresses the need for more research on planning for ethnic tourism by exploring the status and enhancement of planning strategies for ethnic tourism development.

Ethnic tourism has emerged as a means that is employed by many countries to facilitate economic and cultural development and to assist in the preservation of ethnic heritage. However, while ethnic tourism has the potential to bring economic and social benefits it can also significantly impact traditional cultures, ways of life and the sense of identity of ethnic groups. There is growing concern in many places about how to balance the use of ethnicity as a tourist attraction with the protection of minority cultures and the promotion of ethnic pride. Despite the fact that a substantial literature is devoted to the impacts of ethnic tourism, little research has been done on how to plan ethnic tourism attractions or to manage community impacts of tourism. This book addresses the need for more research on planning for ethnic tourism by exploring the status and enhancement of planning strategies for ethnic tourism development. The book develops the case of a well-known ethnic tourist destination in China -Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. It analyzes how ethnic tourism has been planned and developed at the study site and examines associated socio-cultural and planning issues. The authors evaluate the perspectives of four key stakeholder groups (the government, tourism entrepreneurs, ethnic minorities and tourists) on ethnic tourism through on-site observation, interviews with government officials, planners and tourism entrepreneurs, surveys of tourists and ethnic minority people, and evaluation of government policies, plans and statistics. This book is unique in its emphasis on planning and in its focus on China, rapidly emerging as a major player in tourism, with applications for tourism around the world.

The book explores emerging themes, concepts, and issues in ethnic tourism, through examination of theoretical underpinnings and empirical research in various ethnic destinations worldwide. It encapsulates cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions of ethnic tourism, which is a force of change in many ethnic communities and suggests means through which local benefits can be enhanced and costs reduced. This book presents a range of case studies from diverse well-known ethnic destinations which reveal the various outcomes and changes engendered by ethnic tourism, such as the commodification of ethnic culture, the exploitation of minority peoples by outsiders, and the impact of wider forces of modernization and national integration policies. It summarizes what has been done so far and suggests initiatives to increase the contribution of tourism to the economic development and quality of life of ethnic communities. It brings together a diversity of perspectives that are not currently readily available in one location. The book will appeal to students, and scholars interested in social sciences, tourism studies, geography, anthropology, sociology and economics, as well as in applied disciplines such as planning. It addresses academic and professional audiences that are interested in tourism and its consequences, as well as those who are interested in ethnic, including indigenous peoples, and their circumstances.

This book focuses on ethnic and minority communities in urban contexts and the ways in which their cultures are represented in tourism development. It offers a multi-disciplinary approach which draws on examples and case studies of ethnic and minority communities and cultural tourism development from all around the world, including slums in India, favelas in Brazil, Chinatowns in Australia, Jewish quarters in Central and Eastern Europe, ethnic villages in China, the African district of Brussels, the gay quarter in Cape Town and a desert town in Israel. It offers a positive perspective on ethnic and minority cultures and communities at a time when social and political support is lacking in many countries. This book will be a useful resource for those studying and researching cultural and urban tourism, urban planning and development, community studies and urban and cultural geography.

This book represents a shifting of emphasis away from the discourse of authenticity to the process of authenticating ethnic tourism. It focuses upon what authentication is, how it works, who is involved, and what the problems are in the process. By using the study of folk villages on Hainan Island, China, the book suggests that authenticity evolves from a static into a more dynamic concept, which can be formulated according to the different stages of development relating to all the stakeholders involved. Authentication is an interactive process in which a balance of forces defines a state of equilibrium. The book uncovers some interesting findings that will significantly contribute to the literature on ethnic tourism in developing areas.

Timely and accessible, this Handbook offers a thorough account of the growth, development, and changes in the field of tourism planning over recent decades. With contributions from an interdisciplinary and international range of top scholars, it examines critical issues and challenges facing contemporary tourism planning. Covering research at local, national, and global levels, chapters unpack and frame planning strategies in various destinations, expanding the definition of tourism planning to encompass a range of successful case studies.