Slow%Tourism%in%Lijiang% Region,%China% MSc%Thesis%Leisure,%Tourism%&%Environment% GEO>80436% Huajie WANG Slow Tourism in Lijiang Region, China MSc Thesis Leisure, Tourism & Environment GEO-80436 Huajie WANG Reg. nr. 900501-927-130 Department of Environmental Sciences Cultural Geography Chair Group Supervisor: Henk de Haan Wageningen University and Research Centre October 2014 ii Acknowledgements This thesis report was conducted within the framework of graduating from the Leisure, Tourism, and Environment master’s programme at the Wageningen University and Research Centre (Wageningen, Netherlands). This research explores a “better” travel pattern referred to as “slow tourism,” in China. The fieldwork took place from November to December 2013, in the Lijiang region of China, a region characterized by its slow life pace. The topic of this thesis was inspired by Simon Milne, a visiting professor who instructs a Globalization course. Slow tourism is an approach that I have utilised during my travels. Furthermore, it is a research topic that interests me. Before starting my slow tourism study, I brainstormed what it means to be “slow” during a trip. However, I found that slow tourism content does not only refers to taking more time when reading tourism-related literature. Western scholars have presented arguments surrounding environmental concerns. In particular they argued in favour for low-carbon emitting, travel experiences and transportation modes. The traveller’s experience at a destination is an integrated element of slow tourism, which generated the premise for this investigation that aims to reveal what slow tourism looks like in China. Finally, I chose the Lijiang area as my research location. Before detailing the results from the study, I would like thank everyone who contributed their valuable knowledge and time with me. First, I would like to thank Henk de Haan, my thesis supervisor from Wageningen University, for guiding me throughout the process and providing me with valuable suggestions. They pointed me in the right direction when I was lost during the research period. Once more, his critical comments and feedback regarding this report eventually helped me to complete this thesis. Thanks to Yujie Zhu, a professional research scholar of Lijiang and its cultural authenticity, who spoke with me via Skype and offered valuable information about Lijiang. This information was useful when I began conducting my fieldwork. Also, thank you to the Bureau of Statistics and Tourism in Lijiang for providing data and materials related to Lijiang tourism. Regarding my data, I would like to thank all the interviewees who gladly shared their opinions related to Lijiang tourism. Especially those participants travelled iii with me to Yubeng, Shangri-La, Lugu Lake, Kunming, and the Old Town of Lijiang. I have maintained those memorable times with all of you. All of data provided by the respondents have functioned as a basis for this final thesis report. Special thanks to the owner of the inn where I stayed as well as her family for their hospitality. Finally, I want to thank my parents for their financial and mental support during all of my years’ of study, even though they sometimes were clueless about it. I would also like to my friends in Wageningen, Hangzhou, and Lijiang for all of the thoughtful gatherings and talks. Special thanks to Roy, Rui, and Ge for discussing my thesis with me, which made me feel like I was not alone. Lastly, thanks again to everyone I mentioned and did not mention, who have been supportive during my studies, both in the Netherlands and China. They made the last two years a lasting memory. Huajie Wang Wageningen, Netherlands October 2014 iv Summary People in modern cities live with pressure from work as well as a fast-paced life, which motivates them to escape away from their daily life. Travelling is a means for them to go to another place for relaxation and other objectives. As the initial type of tourism, mass tourism has received positive comments during the earlier phases of tourism development. However, in recent years, it has been criticized by a growing number of people. Tourists have complained that cursory travel within a packaged tour leads to fatigue after travel has been completed. In addition to this, tourists complained that the destination also suffers economically, environmentally, and socially from mass tourism. In this regard, slow tourism, is a “better” travel approach, adopting the core beliefs of the “Slow Food” and “Città Slow” movements. Former slow tourism researches were conducted by Western scholars. Conversely, no Chinese research has been undertaken to detail slow tourism and slow tourists in China. This study was carried out in the Lijiang region of Yunnan, China, for exploring the characteristics of slow tourism in China through the investigation of tourist experience, behaviour, and, attitude. It was conducted in light of concepts and theories such as slow tourism, tourist experience, and consciousness to make sense of slow tourism’s impact on both of the tourists and the destination. It also attempted to identify the possible linkage between tourist experience, tourist behaviour, tourist attitude, and destination. Interviews, observations, visual and literature discourse analyses, and simple time-space analyses served as research methods to be used for data collection and analysis. The results showed that slow Chinese tourists are mindful of being “slow” because they desire a richer experience so as to become attached to a particular destination. Also they are environmentally conscious of the local nature and culture and are aware of the importance of the conservation for the minorities living in that particular region. However, they are careless regarding low carbon elements during their travel and do not mind the high emission of greenhouse gases created by air travel. A slow tourist destination can affect the visitors’ moving pace. Furthermore, tourists that are aware of this slow pace will be able to advance their tourist experience, behaviour and attitude, which will subsequently exert a positive impact on the destination, in regards to natural and cultural conservation. v In addition, the difference between Chinese slow tourist and Western slow tourist was discussed. Also this research provided evidence to demonstrate that slow tourism is better than mass tourism because it positively affects the tourist and the destination. Following the end of this research, future study can be expanded to widen the field. In particular, further research can lead to the creation of a slow space. Also, the research location can be an extremely slow city certified by Città Slow. The negative side of slow tourism can be explored as well. vi Content 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1! 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................... 1! 1.2 THE CONTEXT OF THIS STUDY ................................................................... 2! 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................................................................... 4! 1.4 RESEARCH AREA ...................................................................................... 6! 1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................. 7! 1.5.1 Research Objectives ....................................................................... 7! 1.5.2 Research Questions ........................................................................ 8! 1.6 RELEVANCE OF THIS STUDY ...................................................................... 9! 1.7 THESIS OUTLINE ....................................................................................... 9! 2. CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES ............................................................ 11! 2.1 SLOWNESS AND SLOW TOURISM .............................................................. 12! 2.2 SLOW TOURISM AND SLOW DESTINATION ................................................. 18! 2.3 SLOW TOURISTS AND TOURIST EXPERIENCE ............................................. 19! 2.4 SLOW TOURISM AND MINDFULNESS .......................................................... 24! 2.5 CONCEPTUAL MODEL .............................................................................. 26! 2.6 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 29! 3. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 31! 3.1 DATA COLLECTION METHODS .................................................................. 32! 3.1.1 Semi-standardized Interview ......................................................... 32! 3.1.2 Participation Observation .............................................................. 36! 3.1.3 Documents and Visual Materials Collection .................................. 37! 3.1.4 Sampling ........................................................................................ 37! 3.2 DATA ANALYSIS METHODS ...................................................................... 41! 3.3 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY ....................................................................... 43! 3.4 REFLEXIVITY ........................................................................................... 44! vii 4. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS ...................................................................... 46! 4.1 DEMOGRAPHICS .....................................................................................