Contemporary Tourism Challenges in China- Reflections from a Study Tour

Abstract

This paper will critically reflect on the authors experiences visiting a number of tourist sites in China at the end of 2007. Collaborations with colleagues at Chinese universities point to a range of challenges in the development of tourism in a region which is arguably the most important source and destination for the foreseeable future. Few countries offer the tourist potential of China, with its unique natural resources, scenic variety, ethnic diversity & cultural heritage. China is one of the world's most ancient civilizations with a recorded history of nearly 4,000 years. However, it is also very culturally diverse, being a united multi-ethnic nation of 56 ethnic groups. Many of these peoples have combined with and adapted to the natural environment of the area where they lived, and that has formed a wide range of cultural tourism resources. Differing traditions of belief, sociality, amenity, festivals, housing, marriage, funeral rites and religions are the foundations for much of this folk derived diversity, much of it sourced from relationships between humans and nature.