Developing regional tourism in China(7)

中国区域旅游发展

J.Jackson/TourismManagement27(2006)695–706

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wasavailablefor2003,itwasnotusedasitwassigni cantlyaffectedbytheSARSoutbreakinChina.Fortheprimarydatacollection,intheabsenceofcomprehensivedatabasesofmembersofthelocalindustry,personalcontactsthroughtheUniversityofSichuan’sSchoolofTourismwereused,sothesamplewillre ectsomebias.Thisisevidencedwithlackofrepresentationofsmallertourismoperators,andalsothoseinterviewedrepresentingonlyalimitedrangeoftourism-relatedindustries.FuturestudieswouldextendthisprimarydatacollectiontootherinlandregionsofChinaandtoawidergroupofindustries.However,theinterviewsthatwereconductedwereinconsiderabledepth,providingusefulinsightsandquiterichdata.

4.Results—opportunitiesininlandChina4.1.Elementsofcompetitiveadvantage

ThetourismindustryinwestChinaisnoworganisingtocooperativelydevelopandpromotetheirproduct.InJune2001,theForumonChina’sTourismwasheldinChengdu,SichuanProvince,withover200participantsfromprovincialgovernments,CNTA,thetourismindustry,tourismacademicsfromaroundChinaandselectedrepresentativesfromotherPaci cRimnations.Whilesuchactivitiesrevealthedesireforactionatbothanindustryleadershipandtheoreticalacademiclevelandhenceahigh-levelperceptionofthepotentialforregionalclusterdevelopment,itisalsonecessarytoconsidertheotherdeterminantsofcompetitiveadvantage.

4.1.1.Factorendowment

Theemergenceofthe‘WestDevelopment’initiative,intendedtofosterregionaldevelopmentviadevelopingthetourismproductintheearlystages,meansthattherearebroadopportunitiesinthetourismsector.Itisheld,bythelocalindustry,thatthenaturaladvantagesandtourismattractionsinthewestareunmatchableelse-whereinChina,enablingittoproduceauniquetourismproductandcomparativeadvantage(ForumonChina’sTourism,2001;Liuzhen&Feng,2000).

NaturaladvantageshereincludespectacularsceneryandenvironmentalattractionssuchastheThreeGorgesontheYangtzeRiverinChongqing,theoasiscityofUrumqiinXinjiang,themigratorybirdsonQinghaiLake,theSilverbeachareainGuanxi,andtheonlyknownremaininggiantpandahabitatandtheJiuzhai-gou-HuanglongworldheritagesiteinSichuan.UniqueculturalattractionsincludetheTerracottaWarriorsinShaanxi,thehistoricSilkRoadrouterunningthroughmanyofthewesternprovinces,‘mysteriousTibet’,theMausoleumofGhengisKhaninInnerMongolia,thefamousSichuancuisine,thevaryingculturesrepresented

bythe‘ethnicminority’groupsofwestChina,andanabundanceofhistoricalandarchaeologicalsitesandmuseums.GaoandGe(2000,p.216)identifytheneedto‘enhanceandexpandtheexistingheritagetourismsoastoleadanoveralldevelopmentofthethirdindustry’.InrecentyearsinwestChinatherateoffactorupgradinghasbeensubstantial.Inthe veyearssincetheannouncementofthe‘WestDevelopment’initiative,some$US48billionhasbeeninvestedinwestChina(XinhuaNewsagency,2004).Therehasbeenrapiddevelopmentoftransportationinfrastructurewithwide-spreadexpresswaycreation,oftenviajointventureswithforeigncompanies.Itisestimatedthatthereisnowover7000kmofexpresswayinthewest(XinhuaNews-agency,2004).Additionally,arecentlyconstructedextensiverailwaynetworkconnectsmanyofthemajorwesternChinesecitiestothemajorcoastalcities.Thereareinternationalairports,usuallyaccessedthroughHongKong,Beijing,orShanghailocatedintheprovincesofSichuan,Chongqing,Yunnan,Guanxi,Shaanxi,Xinjiang,andNingxia.InTibet,majorroadnetworkshavebeencompleted,inthe10th ve-yearplan,connectingLhasawithotherregionalTibetancentres(Lie,2001,p.3).

Otheressentialtourisminfrastructuredevelopmenthasalsotakenplace.Attheendof2002inthe12provincesinquestion,therewere12touristhotelswithmorethan500roomsandafurther60with300–499rooms.Thisrepresents15%and19%,respectively,ofthenationalstock(ChinaStatisticalYearbook2003,p.604).InternationalhotelchainsincludingHyatt,Sher-atonandHolidayInnarenowwidelylocatedthrough-outthewesternprovinces.

IssuesconfrontingthetourismindustryinwestChinaidenti edattheForumonChina’sTourismwerewideranging.Accessfromthecoastalgatewaysandtheexpenseinvolvedwithtravelduetothedistancebetweenattractionsinthewestwashighlighted.Suchselectivefactordisadvantageswillrequireinnovativemeanstoovercomethem.OneexampleofhowthismightbedoneisthewayinwhichChengduinSichuanandXi’aninShaanximarketthemselvesasthe‘sparklingcities’andhavecombinedtojointlydevelopaproductincorporat-ingatouristrouteconnectingthem.Thecreativepromotionofamoresubstantialproductisonemeansofsurmountingfactordisadvantages.

4.1.2.Demandconditions

TheopeningupoftheChineseeconomyfrom1978hasresultedinincreasesinprosperityandgreatermobilityoftheChinesepopulation.WiththisgrowthintheChineseeconomyandrapidlyincreasingoppor-tunitiesforoutboundtourismtherehasbeenanassociatedincreaseinboththequantityandqualityofdomestictourismactivity.Between1993and2003,thenumbersofoutboundtouristsincreasedfrom3.74