Our webinar
Title: Factors limiting the potential of tourism as an alternative livelihood for local residents in national parks of China
Time: March 25, 2022, 6:00-7:00 pm (Vancouver time) /March 26, 2022, 9:00-10:00 am (GMT+8)
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Prof. Jian Peng
Prof. Jian Peng is the professor of the School of Management, Minzu University of China, doctoral tutor, director of the Ethnic Tourism Research Center. He got his PhD in Geography from Peking University, was the Postdoctoral Fellow of China Tourism Academy, Visiting Scholar in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management of Clemson University and Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Science of Texas A&M University. He is a committee member of multiple academic and professional associations. His research focuses on national park management and tourism sustainable development. He has hosted or participated in more than 20 fund and planning projects, published more than 70 papers in academic journals and edited 8 academic books.
Abstract
Establishing a national park system is one of the key national strategies adopted by the Chinese central government to achieve eco-civilization and sustainable development. Worldwide, tourism has played important roles in promoting nature conservation and community development as well as meeting the public’s recreational demand. However, the situation is not so optimistic in China regarding the role of tourism in national park establishment and management. In many formal or pilot national parks, tourism development is greatly restrained, which is making the establishment of the national park system in China deviate from the definition of IUCN. In his talk, Dr. Peng will try to address, based on his field investigation and knowledge of the national park system established in China, the factors limiting the potential of tourism as an alternative livelihood for residents in national parks of China. The talk covers four points. Firstly, he will briefly introduce the process and progress of establishing the national park system in China. Then he will talk about the status quo of tourism development in the existing Chinese national parks (including pilot ones). After that, he will discuss the role of tourism in solving the livelihood difficulty of residents in the Chinese national parks. Finally, he will focus on the factors limiting the development of tourism and its potential as an alternative livelihood for park residents in China, which is unfolded in three aspects, including natural factors, policy factors, and household factors.
