Cultural heritage tourism development in Panyu District, Guangzhou: community perspectives on pride and preservation, and concerns for the future

Gareth Butler, Gerti Szili, Huanling Huang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This exploratory study observed local resident views on cultural heritage tourism (CHT) development in the Panyu District of Guangzhou, a setting synonymous with Lingnan cultural heritage sites. Using semi-structured interviews with Panyu residents between November 2018 and February2019, it was reported that many were in support of CHT growth and believed that it had yielded positive social impacts despite an absence of formal community involvement in the genesis of CHT. The most cited benefits included a heightened sense of community pride and an increased awareness of the need to preserve Lingnan culture. However,whilst most residents exhibited supportive attitudes, others suggested that emergent negative impacts were now apparent, including increasing volumes of tourists and the ‘mobility paradox’ of traffic congestion they presented during‘Golden Week’ holidays. Several participants suggested that these issues could eventually lead to local community opposition and a demand for engagement with local government authorities. Thus, this study underscores the importance of engaging local residents in situ due to rapid tourism growth and the implications of Golden Weeks on local communities that neighbour CHT sites. These findings will be of value to policymakers and other tourism stakeholders involved in developing and managing growing CHT attractions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)56-73
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Heritage Tourism
Volume17
Issue number1
Early online date11 Feb 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Cultural heritage tourism
  • Tourism impacts
  • Golden Week holidays
  • Local community
  • China
  • local community
  • tourism impacts

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