Summary:
In-depth interviews, text analysis of official documents, and a representative case study are explored to investigate the disempowerment of residents in Tiantangzhai, an emerging yet isolated alpine tourism area in Anhui Province, China. Qualitative research was conducted within the specific political and economic context of China and concludes that (1) residents suffered disempowerment in five areas, including access to productive living space, access to natural resources, access to information, travel benefits, and travel participation; and (2) the mechanisms of disempowerment included government development strategy and system design, elite community relationship networks, individual socio-economic conditions, and social support measures. The research implications suggest that smooth and successful tourism development depends on improving the performance assessment of officials, consolidating administrative supervision, the timely dissemination of information relevant to tourism development, and enhancing opportunities for local residents to participate in tourism development.
