Understanding community capacity-building at a local level for sustainable tourism in World Heritage Site: the case of Wulingyuan in China

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with the concept and practice of rural community capacity-building (CCB) within the context of sustainable tourism. Issues are discussed with specific reference to a Chinese village located in the Wulingyuan World Heritage Site (WHS). The results of the CCB initiative conducted with residents, enterprises, and communities reveal a strong interest and necessity for sustainable tourism within WHS. The study takes place within the framework of the WH + ST programme established by UNESCO aligns with an understanding of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The purpose of the research is to explore the understanding of CCB at the destination community level. By introducing experiences of a CCB on-site demonstration project targeting critical stakeholders of the destination community, the study aims to enhance knowledge and practice of the implementation of CCB in a part of the global discussion.