Perceived impacts of the poverty alleviation tourism policy on the poor in China

Abstract

The implementation of the poverty alleviation tourism policy (PATP) in China has reduced the poverty rate dramatically and has had substantial benefits for the poor population in several areas. However, there is limited knowledge in Western academic circles about how in particular the PATP is helping with efforts to eradicate poverty. This study used semi-structured interviews in three National Poverty Alleviation Tourism Pilot Zones in northern China to illustrate the national policy's impact on the poor. The results show the perceived benefits of and concerns about the PATP from economic, socio-cultural and environmental perspectives. These perceived impacts can also be categorized into policy-related and tourism-related impacts, presenting a conceptual model of how this policy affects the poor. Our study also found that different stakeholders perceived the impacts of the PATP on the poor differently and identified several key points that appear mainly in the PATP. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the PATP's impact on local residents and generate a new perspective on this subject that is relevant to tourism administrators worldwide.