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The sustainable paradox of community tourism in world cultural heritage villages: The case of Xidi and Hong

Author

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  • Liu, Yi
  • Wang, Jing
  • Huang, Kaixuan
  • Li, Yuan (William)
  • Wan, Lisa C.

Abstract

High participation and empowerment have generally been regarded as a promising guarantee for sustainable community tourism. However, drawing on ten years of fieldwork at two cultural World Heritage Sites in China, Xidi and Hong, this paper presents a paradox of this case. A promising mode of community tourism failed in Xidi, while a seemingly exploitative model succeeded in the neighboring village of Hong. Through the analytical framework of embeddedness, this paper argues that the sustainability of community tourism development depends on whether industrial upgrading is achieved to meet the economic-growth imperative of the villagers. This paper provides a new explanation beyond the indigenous versus exogenous dichotomy. It contributes to tourism studies by offering a more balanced perspective on sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Yi & Wang, Jing & Huang, Kaixuan & Li, Yuan (William) & Wan, Lisa C., 2025. "The sustainable paradox of community tourism in world cultural heritage villages: The case of Xidi and Hong," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:115:y:2025:i:c:s0160738325001264
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2025.104020
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