Multi-agency management of a World Heritage Site: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, China

Abstract

Involving a variety of stakeholders, heritage tourism management requires a collaborative multi-actor approach. Due to the current grid management system, shared management among multiple agencies is not rare in heritage sites in China; however limited research has addressed this situation. A multi-agency management model is thus proposed to highlight the roles of a coordination agency and a collaboration mechanism. Taking Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area as an example, this paper compares the management status and assesses management collaboration between its two main management bodies. Semi-structured interviews with management staff are used as the primary research method. It is revealed that shared management has resulted in the inefficient use of human and financial resources, and inconsistency in the application of management measures and standards due to the lack of an efficient coordination agency and collaboration mechanism. Suggestions are made to facilitate collaboration and enhance management efficiency in this multi-agency management context.

Keywords:

• multi-agency management
• collaboration
• World Heritage
• Wulingyuan
• China

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the Editor and reviewers for their valuable comments. Sincere thanks to all interview participants for their support to this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the Research Funds of Renmin University of China [16XNB014] to Dr Ming Ming Su.