Community participation in ecotourism: a case study of Tai O, Hong Kong

Abstract

Tourism is one of the four pillars of Hong Kong's economy. It not only generates revenue but also has potential to boost the economy of local communities and improve their livelihoods. However, it is not clearly stated in any governmental official documents that in what way, tourism would contribute to local community's economy. There is increasing number of tourists who are interested in natural environment and cultural heritage in Hong Kong. On the other hand, there is also increasing concern over negative consequences of uncontrolled tourism development in both environmental and socio-economic aspects. Ecotourism might be an option to meet the above issues. According to Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism, one principle of ecotourism is to involve local communities in its planning, development and operation and contribute to their well-being. To understand how tourism benefits local community, it is crucial to examine to what extent local communities are able to participate in tourism planning and decision making process and in what form, tourism can contribute to their well-being. This study applies Arnstein's 'ladder of citizen participation' and Ross and Wall's ecotourism paradigm to examine the extent to which, residents in Tai O, Lantau, Hong Kong can participate in tourism planning and decision making process and how they engage in tourism related activities and businesses. It is hoped that by identifying the present position of the community participation, the community and government will have a better idea on which steps to embark on.