ABSTRACT
This article shows how an integrated approach to the conservation of cultural landscapes can significantly contribute to sustainable tourism. First, the authors illustrate how the Shaxi Rehabilitation Project in Yunnan, China – an international initiative for the conservation of tangible built and natural heritage – has exceeded its original aim and provided a framework for the long-term governance of the entire Shaxi valley system. Second, the authors employ a transdisciplinary analytical tool to evaluate the impact of tourism on the valley’s environmental and cultural heritage and to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. The results highlight increasing tourism pressures, especially during peak tourism season, that will be amplified by upcoming developments to transport infrastructure. By adding new variables and examining the availability of established indicators, the study also contributes to the methodological advancement in the field of heritage preservation through its testing and discussion of the advantages and limitations of the application of the pressure-state-response model to a remote valley system.
Acknowledgments
We would also like to thank the participants in the interviews and the local governmental officers for their availability.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Sofield and Li, “Tourism Development.”
2. Smith and Du, “Wenhai Ecolodge, Northwest Yunnan.”
3. Du Cros, “China’s Tea.”
4. Yin, Case Study Research.
5. Li, “Environmental Management Indicators.”
6. Huber et al., “Livelihood and Conservation Aspects.”
7. Yang, “’Ancient Tea’.”
8. Feiner, Mi, and Schmid, “Sustainable Rural Development.”
9. See note 2 above.
10. See note 8 above.
11. Ibid.
12. Hunt and Daniels, “The Plan for the Valleys.”
13. Shaxi Old Theater Inn, “Preserving Shaxi’s Cultural Heritage.”
14. FNNPE, 1992, cited in Ceballos-Lascuráin, “State of Nature-based Tourism.”
15. Landorf, “Managing for Sustainable Tourism.”
16. Ibid.; Hall and Piggin, “Tourism and World Heritage.”
17. Shackley, “Visitor Management”; and Timothy, 1997 cited in Timothy and Boyd, Heritage Tourism.
18. McNeely, “Future of National Park”; Mercer, “The Uneasy Relationship.”
19. Russo, “The ‘Vicious Circle’.”
20. Ibid.; Boyd and Timothy, “Marketing Issues.”
21. Forster 1964, in Doǧan, “Forms of Adjustment”; and Burns and Holden, 1995, in Brunt and Courtney, “Host Perceptions,” 497.
22. Gijksan 1978, p. 55–7, in Doǧan, “Forms of Adjustment.”
23. Gössling, “Sustainable Tourism Development”; Gössling et al., “Tourism and Water Use”; Rutty et al., “Global Effects.”
24. Rutty et al., “Global Effects.”
25. Ibid.; Buckley, “Sustainable Tourism.”
26. Boyd and Timothy, “Marketing Issues.”
27. See note 5 above.
28. Drost, “Developing Sustainable Tourism”; Leask, “World Heritage Site Designation.”
29. See note 5 above.
30. Yunnan News, “The Revival of Tourism.”
31. Han, Ouyang, and Zeng, “Sustainable Management Policy”; Liu et al., “Protecting China’s Biodiversity.”
32. Dali Environmental Bureau, “Bulletin of Environmental Status.”
33. Hu, “Shaxi Cultural Landscape Features.”
34. Yang and Zhao, “The Shaxi Town Organisation.”
35. See note 39 above.
36. Huang, “Ancient Town of Shaxi.”
37. See note 41 above.
38. See note 8 above.
39. See Yunnan News, “The Revival of Tourism.”
40. Salerno, “Cultivation and Composition,” 84.
41. See note 6 above.
42. Ibid.
43. See note 5 above.
44. See note 63 above.
45. See Salerno, “Commercial Tourism Zones”; Shaxi Old Theatre Inn, “Preserving Shaxi’s Cultural Heritage.”
46. Zhao, “Shaxi Rehabilitation Project.”
47. Jianchuan County People’s Government Office, “Measures for the Protection.”
48. See note 32 above.
49. See Shaxi Old Theatre Inn, “Preserving Shaxi’s Cultural Heritage.”
50. See note 68 above.
51. Ibid.
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Gianni Talamini
Gianni Talamini is a registered architect and urban designer. He investigates the relationship between spatial forms and modes of production. He gained international experience both as a researcher and a practitioner, combining his theoretical framework with professional experience. Working on the boundary between art and architecture, he has managed installations and exhibitions designed by internationally renowned artists and architects. In 2012, he planned and supervised the restoration of the Finnish Pavilion, designed by Alvar Aalto, at the Venice Biennale.
Angela Tritto
Angela Tritto (Ph.D., City University of Hong Kong), is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Emerging Market Studies, HKUST. She is currently working on three interrelated research projects centred on the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia. Her research interests include the management of innovation, environmental policies and technologies, heritage management, and sustainable development. Her past and upcoming publications include a paper on eco-innovations in Jiuzhaigou National Park, a book chapter on collaborations in the management of the George Town World Heritage Site, and a series of reports and case studies on the Belt and Road Initiative in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar.