Geography 2086/7108 China's Tourism Resources & Management

1. Geography 2086/7108 China's Tourism Resources & Management Dr. Li, Yiping Department of Geography, The University of Hong KongSpring 2010

2. Lecture #1.1 General Introduction Main content will cover: • development and change of China's tourism policies • organizations and management of tourism in China: • hotel business • travel & leisure service provision • tourism education and training • social, economic and environmental issues associated with China’s tourism development

3. Specific Lecture Topics • Introduction • Development and Change of Tourism in China • Tourism Management • In-bound & Out-bound Travel Services • Tourism Management: Hotels • Tourism Management: Attractions • Tourism Planning and Marketing

4. Emerging Issues • Tourism Impacts in China • Culture Tourism and Issue of Authenticity • Individual Travel Scheme: Host-Guest Relationship • Sport Events and Destination Image Building • Ecotourism: Chinese Way of Viewing the Landscape • Working for the Future • Study of Tourism in China in the 21st Century • Volunteer Project Presentation

5. Course Objectives • understand and appreciate the scope and complexity of China’s tourism industry • understand the terminology appropriate to travel and tourism • understand a sampling of research methodologies used for studying travel and tourism in China • understand the various career directions available within China’s travel and tourism business • understand the external factors which impact the tourism industry in China • understand the economic and environmental impacts of tourism development in China • understand current trends and the future outlook for the field of tourism studies in general, and studies of travel and tourism in China in particular

6. Please Note Course content and order of presentations may DEVIATE from this outline due to unforeseen circumstances

7. LECTURE NOTES Lecture notes will not be distributed, BUT will be posted on-line at this weblink: http://geog.hku.hk/undergrad/geog2086/

8. Textbook • Lew, A., Yu, L., Ap, J. & Zhang, G. (Eds.) (2003). Tourism in China. New York: The Haworth Hospitality Press (ISBN: 0789012820) Recommended Readings • Lew, A., & Yu, L. (Eds.) (1995). Tourism in China: Geographic, Political, and Economic Perspectives. Boulder: Westview Press (ISBN: 0813388740) • Relevant articles will be recommended from tourism research journals such as: • Journal of China Tourism Research • Annals of Tourism Research • Tourism Management • Journal of Sustainable Tourism • Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research • Journal of Ecotourism • Asia-Pacific Journal of Tourism Research

9. ASSESSMENT 100% Coursework • Project #1 (40%) – YouTube/Youku/Video and Learning Link:(due by 4:30pm on Friday, March 12th, 2010); • Project #2 (60%) - An Independent Study of Tourism in China: (due by 4:30pm on Friday, April 23rd, 2010)

10. COURSEWORK (soft copy is required)Project #1 (40%) – YouTube/Youku/Video and Learning Link:You are required to submit an online video (4 minutes max!) and a link to a story/article/learning tool which you believe will assist you in understanding any of the following issues (see the list below). In addition, you are required to write a 150-word statement about why you think the video and the story/article/learning tool may assist you in understanding the issue • Chinese tourist behaviors in tourist destinations • Chinese way of tourism planning and marketing • Tourism impacts and sustainable tourism in China • Culture Tourism and issue of authenticity with regards to China • Ecotourism and Chinese way of viewing the landscape • Chinese government’s role in tourism development

11. Project #2: An Independent Study of Tourism in China* This assignment is geared to individual field study of tourism in China: • You are required to conduct a field study of your own choice regarding tourism in China, Macau, Hong Kong, or even Taiwan • Your study should investigate one or two issues you deem to be important for China’s tourism development • Your report must contain these components: • Introduction • Discussion of the key issue(s) • Conclusion • You must follow Geography Department’s Guidelines on the use of reference materials in course assignments (see Appendix 1) when writing your report • This project counts as 60% of your final grade, and will be dueby by 4:30pm on Friday, April 23rd, 2010 • Delay will result in deduction of your final mark * The written project should not be less than 2000 words

12. Oral Presentation of Field Study Report • 3 volunteers will be selected to do a 25-minute oral presentation on the field study • Oral presentation should be done on the last lecture day of the course • Presenters are required to submit a soft copy of presentation slides instead of a written report of the field study • Selection of presenters will be conducted on the second lecture day after reading week • If more than 3 students volunteer to present, final presenters will be selected by a lucky draw

13. You must submit your written assignments via Geography Department Assignment Collection Boxin the Department’s General OfficeIf you have any questions regarding the two projects, do not hesitate to contact your TA or me. This can be done during my regular office hours or by appointmentMy office hours:Tuesday 14:30 – 17:30My office:#306 Hui Oi Chow Building

14. Mutual Expectations & Codes of Civility You can expect me to • Come prepared for, and attend, all lectures regularly and punctually I demand the same from you, and will consider these unacceptable behaviors: • Reading during a lecture • Consuming food or drink • Littering the lecture room • Using walkmans, radios, MP3, mobile phones, etc., which may impede the ability of you or other students to learn If we all abide by this code of civility and mutual respect, we set the stage for a healthy and stimulating intellectual forum.

15. Lecture #1.2IntroductionDevelopment & Change ofTourism in China

16. Lecture Objectives: • Understand evolution of China’s tourism policies since 1949 • the effect on the tourism development • Review spatial distribution of China’s tourism resources • classification of tourism regions by Chinese tourism scholars • Discuss future trend of tourism development in China

17. Recommended readings: • Lam, T. & Mao, F. (2001). A Study of International Tourism Development in China. Pacific Tourism Review5: 113-120 • Lew, A., Yu, L., Ap, J. & Zhang, G. (Eds.) (2003). Tourism in China, Chapters 1 & 2. New York: The Haworth Hospitality Press • Oakes, T. (1998). Tourism and Modernity in China, Chapter 2 (pp. 58-82). London: Routledge • Sofield, T & Li, F. (1998). Tourism Development and Cultural Policies in China. Annals of Tourism Research 25 (2): 362-392 • Xu, G. 1999). Tourism and Local Economic Development in China. Chapter 3 (pp.30-51). UK: Cuzzon Press • Zhang, Y. (1995). An Assessment of China’s Tourism Resources. In Lew, A. and Yu, L. (Eds.),Tourism in China: Geographic, Political, and Economic Perspectives (pp. 41-59). Westview Press You may choose to read any one of the above listed readings according to your time availability

18. Tourism in China: An Evolutionary Perspective

19. CHINA’S TOURISM BEFORE 1978 • Reflect on some Chinese tourism scholars’ view that China has a longest history of leisure travel by pondering these questions: • IS IT TRUE there is such a long history? • Why is it true and/or not true? • Differentiate: • Concepts of travel and tourism

20. Thomas Cook & Sons, and other world renown travel companies, opened their offices in Shanghai and Beijing during the 1920s • The start of tourism business in China • Wars (??) from the late 1930s to the late 1940s put a hold to all pleasure travel in China • The travel business became a form of special political activity after PRC was established in 1949

21. CHINA’S TOURISM SINCE 1978 • 3Decades of Tourism Growth: • Facts and Figures • Gains & the losses

22. Tourism Policies & the Impacts

23. The TransformationOver the past 3 decades, theofficial purpose of tourism in China has undergone three 3 changes: • Politics only (1949 – 1978) • Politics plus economics (1978 to 1985) • Economiy over politics (since 1986)

24. The development of the tourism policies led to the transformations of tourism resource management in China: • Change 1 from micro-management and control to macro-management and service, e.g. • The Bureau for Travel and Tourism (BTT) before 1978 • China National Tourism Administration was set up in 1981

25. Change 2: from monopoly to decentralization in tourism business operations • Three Magnates of Travel Services before 1978: • CITS, CTS, and CYTS • By 2009???? (postgraduate students’ homework) • 1460 international travel services and 13467 by 2004 • 10888 star-rated hotels (1.3 million rooms) • A national tourism workforce of2.5 million people

26. Change 3 from a product-oriented to a market-oriented mode • Among actions recently taken, China has: • simplified visa and frontier formalities for overseas tourists • introduced a star-rating classification of its hotels based on international standard • adopted a more relaxed policy regarding mainlanders visiting HK (CEPA-ITS) • set up tourism offices in major markets abroad to provide necessary and up-to-date information on the country, and participated regularly in major world tourism exhibitions

27. Spatial distribution of China’s tourism resources & Classifications of tourism regions

29. Tourism Resources: A uniquely combined natural & cultural (human) resource base for developing tourism • Natural and scenic resources – “shanshui” (mountains and rivers), such as:

30. Historical resources– over 5,000 years recorded history of continuous development has left a rich legacy in: • Agriculture • Handicrafts • Science and technology • Medicine • Literature • Architecture • Art • Philosophy

31. Human (cultural) resources - cultural heritage & ethnic diversity are rich and varied tourism resources, such as: • Tradition • Ethnic diversity • Cuisines • Distinct political system • Vibrant city life

32. Major Characteristics of Tourism Resources • vast land and various terrains • unique geological features and regional differences • long history and rich culture heritage • ethnic dynamics and varieties • rapid change with contrast of tradition and modernity

33. RESOURCE PATTERNSChinese tourism scholars agree that a tourism region should have 4 CHARACTERISTICS: • A relative concentration of tourism resources • A sufficient broadness of regional extent • A distinctive and complementary combination of diverse resources, and • One or more well established tourism centres supported by adequate infrastructure, superstructure, and stable markets

34. Accordingly, China’s tourism regions may be classified by a 9-region scheme on the basis of geographic contiguous regions and relative completeness of a historical or cultural resource: • Beijing Tourism Region • Silk Road Tourism Region • Northeast Tourism Region • South China Tourism Region • Southwest Tourism Region • Taiwan Tourism Region • Qinzang (Qinhai-Tibetan Plateaus) Tourism Region • Yangtze River Valley Tourism Region • Yellow River Valley Tourism Region

35. An examplary case:Yangtze River Valley Tourism Region A relative concentration of tourism resources: Shanghai: global city, colonial culture, shopping & entertainment, transportation hub. Jiangsu & Zhejiang:land of rice and fish, ancient capitals, arts & crafts, agriculture, cuisine, the Grand Canal, Taihu Lake, etc. Anhui & Jiangxi: Yellow Mountain and Mount Lushan, Jiuhua Mountain, Poyang Lake, etc.

36. A sufficient broadness of regional extent A distinctive and complementary combination of diverse resources: modern and traditional, natural and cultural/human, One or more well established tourism centres supported by adequate infrastructure, superstructure, and stable markets

37. Perspective #2 for classifying tourism regions(climatic differentiations & destination characteristics destination characteristics)Another perspective reflects the emphasis on climatic differentiations and destination characteristics in identifying China’s tourism regions: • Zhongyuan (Central China) Ancient Civilisation Tourism Region • Eastern Coast Tourism Region • Chuan Han (Sichuan) Tourism Region • South China Tropical Landscape Tourism Region • Southwest Karst Landform Tourism Region • Northwest Silk Road Tourism Region • North China Tourism Region • Northern Border Frontier Fortress Tourism Region • Qing-Zang Highland Tourism Region

38. REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT The strong influence of China’s regional economic structure, which is characterized by • a developed and industrial eastern coast region • a less developed and less industrial central inland region • a least developed and least industrialized western interior regionis clearly seen in the spatial patterns of tourism development

39. Future Trend: Is It Predictable?

40. Experiences Gained & Lessons Learnedkeep these questions in mind when studying this course: • The comparative advantage • How long will it last? • National economic policies • Are they always in line with tourism development? • Outside capital and modern manpower • Are they boldly introduced and efficiently exploited? • Negative impacts of tourism • Has appropriate attention been given?