中国区域旅游发展

J.Jackson/TourismManagement27(2006)695–706

697

Fig.1.TheWestDevelopmentprovinces.

Table1

Tourismindicatorsforthetop12tourismprovincesin2000Province

TotalForeignForeignexchangearrivals(%)arrivals(%)earningsfrom

tourism(%)38.59.15.85.25.243.63.22.32.321.883311.231m

14.516.29.83.46.73.54.44.53.343.43.477.1146.801m

28.719.311.36.25.12.13.62.42.222.71.386.9US$14325m

GuangdongBeijingShanghaiFujianJiangsuGuanxiaZheijiangYunnanaShandongShaanxiaLiaoningHeilongjiang

Totalfortop12(%)Total

By2002,whiletherewassomemovementinthetop12provincialtourismdestinationsasmeasuredbytotalarrivals,theseprovincesstillenjoyed83.2%oftotalvisitation,and77.3%ofinternationalvisitorsand86.4%offoreignexchangeearningsfromtourism(NTAofPRC).Thetop12werestilldominatedbytheeastcoastalregionswiththe‘WestDevelopment’provincesofYunnanrankedninth,Shaanxi10thandGuangxi12th.TheunevengrowthintourismactivityandthepotentialtoexacerbateregionalinequalitiesinChinahasbeennotedbyanumberofresearchersincludingZhang(2001)andWenandTisdell(1997).2.2.RegionaldevelopmentinChina

Inpursuingregionaldevelopment,manyregionsandcitiesinChinahaveembarkedonatourism-orienteddevelopmentcourse(Xu,1999,p.17).Inparticular,sinceearly200012provincesinwesternandinlandChinahavejoinedtogetherinthe‘WestDevelopment’campaignaimedatregionaldevelopmentwithtourismactivitybeinganimportantdriver.Thismeansthatthetourismindustrywillbeasupportedindustry,withtheintentionofincreasingthepaceofregionaldevelopment.

Currently,inthetourismindustry,westChinalackscompetitivenesswitheastChinaasshownearlierinTable1.AsfurtherdemonstratedinTable2,theyattractedonly15.8%ofdomestictourismand21.3%ofinternationaltourismin2000.In2002itwas14.9%and19.7%,respectively.AccordingtoLiXuemei(Head,

Source:NationalTourismAdministrationofPRC.ChinaTourismStatisticsMonthlyBulletins(various).a

WestDevelopmentprovinces.

FDI,hasnowjoinedwith11otherwesternprovincesinthe‘WestDevelopment’initiative(seeFig.1).Thisinitiativehastheaspirationthat‘bythemid21stcentury,thewesternregionshouldbedevelopedintoanareawithathrivingeconomy[withan]advancedsocietyyandstablelivingconditions’().