Government Roles in Stimulating Tourism Development: A Case from Guangxi, China

Abstract

Governments set the context in which entrepreneurship can or cannot occur. This paper examines the case of Yangshuo in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, to explore the influence of governmental involvement on heritage tourism development. This paper draws primarily on interviews with government officials, supplemented by surveys with residents, the business community and tourists, to understand the policies, marketing, and official attitudes and involvement of governments in tourism. Yangshuo has been successful at developing tourism in part because Yangshuo's governments accord great importance to tourism and have actively encouraged its development, adopting multiple supportive roles. Variations in government support can greatly influence the entrepreneurial environment and, hence, the style and pace of tourism development.

Keywords:

• heritage tourism
• government
• Yangshuo
• China

Acknowledgement

This research was funded in part by a research grant to Geoffrey Wall from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.