Community Participation in the Decision-Making Process for Sustainable Tourism Development in Rural Areas of Hong Kong, China

Bonnie K. L. Mak, Lewis T. O. Cheung and Dennis L. H. Hui
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Bonnie K. L. Mak: Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Lewis T. O. Cheung: Department of Social Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Dennis L. H. Hui: Department of Social Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Examining the extent to which a community plays a role in the decision-making process in tourism planning can provide a better understanding of how tourism can benefit a community. Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation (ALCP) has been adopted by tourism scholars to understand both the nature of the participation expected of the community and the community’s actual participation in tourism development. However, the literature on tourism development and community involvement is underdeveloped in the context of urban tourism, and few studies have attempted to identify the differences between the expected and actual participation of local residents. Identifying this gap reveals the reasons behind it and generates possible suggestions and solutions. The level of community participation of Tai O residents has been assessed by employing Arnstein’s framework. The results indicated the difference between the level of local residents’ expected and actual participation in tourism development. The reasons for the difference are identified, and suggestions for improvement are provided.

Keywords: Arnstein; citizen participation level; tourism planning; community participation; sustainable tourism development; Hong Kong (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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