A Stakeholder Analysis on Sustainable Heritage Tourism Development in China
Copyright © 2010 the authors. All rights reserved.
Abstract
Sustainability is essential for heritage tourism development. However, to achieve this sustainable heritage tourism is a daunting task due to the fragmented nature of tourism industry and the complexity of heritage definitions. Researchers and practitioners have identified needs for coordination and collaboration by different stakeholders in successfully implementing sustainable tourism development. In order to promote such coordinated and collaborated efforts in heritage tourism planning in China, the authors analyzed and categorized potential stakeholders into two major groups with their respective roles in the planning process: (1) primary stakeholders including local communities, heritage attraction managers, tourists, travel agencies, and heritage protection bureaus; and (2) secondary stakeholders including other tourism attractions, local businesses, tourism industry associations, and the transportation sector. By using the stakeholder analysis, this study aimed to provide a common platform for promoting better communication and cooperation among different stakeholders in order to harmonize sustainable heritage tourism development in China.
