Global–local relationships and governance issues at the Great Wall World Heritage Site, China

Abstract

Heritage preservation and tourism use are inevitably intertwined at heritage sites and are characterized by both symbioses and tensions, particularly at World Heritage Sites, where international initiatives interact with local priorities. The international designation impacts heritage preservation, tourism development and community well-being at the local level, especially in developing countries. This paper examines global–local relationships, as well as involvement and governance at intermediate scales, and their implications for preservation and development at Badaling Great Wall World Heritage Site in Beijing, China, through examinations of its management structure, heritage preservation and development plans, and the opinions of the local business community. Interviews were conducted with key officials of the Management Office and questionnaire surveys were distributed with local business operators. It is shown that multiple stakeholders operate in a hierarchical, multi-departmental management structure. International linkages are weak and via central government. Positive economic impacts from tourism are highly valued. High awareness of heritage preservation and positive attitudes toward tourism are identified among local business operators with relatively high tolerance for negative environmental impacts. Potential conflicts between global priorities by World Heritage designation and local needs for tourism development are illustrated. Practical implications for heritage and tourism planning and management are discussed.

中国长城世界遗产地的全球-地方关系和政策治理相关的问题

遗产保护和旅游用途在遗产地是不可避免地相互关联的，并且是被描述为共生关系又是互相冲突的，特别是在世界遗产地，那里通常国际目的地和地方的重心相互关系。国际上的名号影响遗产保护，旅游发展和社区生活，特别是在发展中国家。该文章讨论了全球-地方性的关系，和中间调解的参与和政策治理，并且还有通过审视管理结构，遗产保护，发展规划和当地商业社区的意见，解释他们对于中国北京的八达岭长城世界遗产地的保护和发展的意义。该研究对管理办公室里主要的办公人员做了采访，并且对当地的商业运营者发散了问卷和调查。文章指出多个利益相关者是运营在阶层性，多部门管理的结构下的。国际上的关联非常弱并是通过中央政府。从旅游来的正面的经济影响是高度赞扬的。遗产保护的高度认可和对旅游的正面态度存在于当地的那些对负面的环境影响有相对高的容忍度的商业运营者中。对于世界遗产提名的国际化重心和当地对旅游发展的需要之间潜在的冲突在文中有提到。对遗产和旅游规划和管理的实际的意义也有讨论到。

Keywords:

• World Heritage
• the Great Wall
• stakeholders
• community
• preservation
• heritage tourism

关键词:

• 世界遗产
• 长城
• 利益相关者
• 社区
• 保护
• 遗产旅游

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Corrigendum

Acknowledgements

The research was partially funded by a grant to the second author from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and partially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the Research Funds of Renmin University of China to the first author (11XNK015: Research on the multi-stakeholder management model of heritage tourism in China).

Notes

1. The slide way is a form of cable-hauled rack railway with numerous small individual cars.