Tourism space reconstruction of a world heritage site based on actor network theory: A case study of the Shibing Karst of the South China Karst World Heritage Site

Abstract

The number of world heritage sites is increasing daily, and China has become one of the countries with the largest number of world heritage sites. However, the study of complex geographic spatial processes before and after the successful inscription of heritage sites is relatively rare. The Shibing Karst component of the serial South China Karst World Natural Heritage Site was taken as a case study, and actor network theory and qualitative research methods were used to analyze the space reconstruction processes and mechanisms of the Shibing Karst. The findings indicated that (1) the Shibing Karst experienced two sequential space reconstruction processes, the normal tourism destination construction phase and the world heritage site construction phase; (2) in the tourism destination construction phase, there was a heterogeneous actor network in which the People's Government of Shibing County played a focal role in promoting the restructuring of production, living and ecological space and realizing a space for the production and consumption of tourism products and experiences; (3) in the world heritage site construction phase, foreign enterprises became new actors, and residents gradually gained more decision-making rights, with the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and the World Heritage Centre having supervisory rights, which promoted the transformation of the area into a world heritage production and consumption tourism space, indicating that the actor network had changed; and (4) the mechanisms of the actor network transformation were mainly changes in key actors' intentions, the adoption of the governance mechanism (changes in the means of enrollment), and changes in the actors' roles as part of the actor network transformation. Research on the process of space reconstruction showed that changes in the actor network and interest relations and adjustments of the power relations among actors, which can affect the sustainable development of tourism and the economy of heritage sites, occurred.