Appendix I: China’s Actions in Poverty Reduction Through Tourism
China is the largest developing country in the world, and poverty has long plagued its economic and social development. The Chinese tourism industry paid early attention to poverty reduction through tourism. In recent years, China
’
s poverty reduction through tourism has made many new results.
1. Progress of China’s Poverty Reduction Through Tourism
China
’
s poverty reduction through tourism has dynamically shifted from natural and spontaneous growth to purposeful and planned growth, from “appearance without reality” to “appearance with reality”, from the government dominance to the dual-track mode of the government and the market
,
from governmental funding to governmental, foreign capital and social funding, from pilot implementation to nationwide implementation, from extensive to precise, and from fiscal and policy support to the talent and intellectual support. It can be roughly divided into four stages:
(1) Phase I (1984
-
1996): Early Exploration
In 1978, China began the reform and opening up, when domestic tourism started, which partly promoted the economic development of poor destinations and objectively played a role in poverty reduction, which was still subject to natural and spontaneous growth. In 1986, the tourism industry was officially incorporated into the national economic and social development plan. Thanks to state and local funds, some underdeveloped areas with rich tourism resources began to develop tourism. China
’
s real poverty reduction through tourism was launched.
In 1991, Guizhou Tourism Administration raised the concept of “poverty reduction through tourism” at the National Tourism Directors Conference. On May 26, 1992, the People’s Government of Guizhou pointed out in the outline of the report delivered to Wu Xueqian,
then
Vice Premier of the State Council that, “Poverty reduction through tourism is a very prominent theme in Guizhou. Natural landscape and ethnic customs in Guizhou are mostly in ethnic and poor areas. Developing tourism to stimulate the development of local industries can help them broaden the path to poverty reduction and the conceptual change from the shock of the commodity economy on the formerly closed small-scale peasant economy”. Following practice and exploration for more than two years, the General Office of the State Council forwarded the
Notice of the CNTA on the Positive Development of Domestic Tourism
in November 1993. This is the first high-level tourism document issued since the founding of New China, marking that domestic tourism has officially been put on the agenda of the central government, tourism development has entered a new stage, and the poverty reduction through tourism has been further promoted in this process.
In 1995, poverty reduction through tourism was officially incorporated by the CNTA into the
Ninth Five-Year Plan on National Economy and Social Development and Long-term Prospects and Objectives for 2010
. In 1996, the CNTA took the study of poverty reduction through tourism as an important topic in the research outline of important issues in tourism development, and the experience in poverty reduction through tourism in Guizhou, Guangdong and Fujian at the National Work Conference on Poverty Reduction Through Tourism. In October, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and
Development and the CNTA held a national symposium on poverty reduction through tourism for a special research and work summary. According to the statistics before the symposium, from the reform and opening up to 1996, China lifted about 6 million people out of poverty through tourism, involving 12,000 villages. The basic model of “government guidance + market operation” was determined at the symposium, which greatly promoted the poverty reduction through tourism.
The most outstanding effect of poverty reduction through tourism at this stage was the change in basic institutional environment. The poverty reduction through tourism changed from the mode that the government organized resources to promote development into the dual-track parallel operating mechanism of “government + market”. This is actually the outcome and manifestation of the increasingly developing China’s market economy. The rural economic system reform, market-oriented advancement and measures including poverty reduction through tourism at this stage somehow improved the economy in poor rural areas and also benefited the farmers.
It must be noted that China
’
s poverty reduction through tourism at this stage was closely related to the decision of
“1996 International Year as the Eradication of Poverty” at the UN World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, under which China actively implemented the poverty reduction through tourism and held several themed meetings.
(2) Phase II (1997
-
2004): Preliminary Development
In 1999, China launched the “Golden Week” system, which enormously released the potential tourism consumption demand and brought broader prospects and greater possibilities for the poverty reduction through tourism. In September 1999, the great western development strategy was clearly proposed at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 15th CPC Central Committee CPC Central Committee, making tourism to be highly valued as an important path to the development-based poverty reduction. In 1998, the State Council issued RMB520 billion of five-year long-term construction treasury bonds, RMB4.2 billion of which were for over 400 tourist projects. Later China
’
s tourism development priority projects were announced for market-oriented operations and promotion. Consequently, RMB40+ billion foreign and social funds were driven to flow into the tourism industry, mostly in the western and poverty-stricken areas. The poverty reduction through tourism achieved remarkable results. In April 2001, the
Notice of the State Council on Further Accelerating the Development of Tourism
clearly put forward the task of “planning and constructing a number of national eco-tourism demonstration zones, tourism poverty alleviation pilot zones, and tourist resorts”. Accordingly, in August 2000, the CNTA established the Liupanshan Tourism Poverty Alleviation Experimental Area in Xihaigu, Ningxia, the state first pilot area for poverty reduction through tourism, which accelerated the development of tourism in Ningxia and even the northwestern region and registered milestone significance to implementing the Central Western Development Strategy.
In January 2002, the CNTA held a national tourism work conference, and further put forward the work plan and opinions of national trial experimental zones for poverty reduction through tourism. According to the opinions, the CNTA invested RMB2.5 million in 2002 to help the development of rural tourism in Jiangkou County, Guizhou
Province
. The poverty reduction through tourism at this stage was actively implemented at both the state and local levels, with expanding regions and effects. In January 2003, the Guangdong government officially launched 14 first-batch projects of poverty reduction through tourism with the relevant departments to included poverty reduction through tourism at the provincial level.
With the issuance of tourism treasury bonds and the establishment of national and local tourism poverty alleviation pilot zones as the main signs, tourism development has become an important path to reduce poverty. China’s poverty reduction through tourism entered new stage of development, at which the concentration in specific regions was reflected, mainly by providing poverty alleviation funds and preferential policies for poor counties. A large number of poor rural areas reduced poverty and develop their economy and society, including old revolutionary areas such as Jinggangshan, Yan
’
an and Xibaipo, poor mountainous areas such as Zhangjiajie, Huangshan Mountain
and Changbaishan Mountain, minority areas such as Jiuzhaigou, Xishuangbanna, Lijiang and Yanji, as well as many areas in the northwest. According to data released by the CNTA in October 2004, China
’
s poor people directly benefited from tourism development in the past 25 years were 60 to 80 million, accounting for 1/4 to 1/3 of the total poor
(3) Phase III (2005
-
2012): Rapid Promotion
In 2006, the CNTA made a scientific decision of “advancing the tourism industry in rural areas” and designated 2006 as the “China Rural Tourism Year”. In September, the International Forum on Rural Tourism was held in Guizhou, at which the
Guiyang Declaration
was passed. It raised that rural tourism, as a link connecting cities and villages, can realize the sharing of social resources and civilization achievements and the fair distribution of wealth between urban and rural areas, so as to narrow down the economic development gap between regions and between urban and rural areas for promoting the sustainable economic, social, environmental and cultural development in underdeveloped rural areas. In the same year, Guizhou prepared the first
Rural Tourism Planning in Guizhou
, which set out the goals of poverty reduction through rural tourism. The CNTA forwarded the
Rural Tourism Planning in Guizhou
to the provinces for reference. The successful experience of Guizhou was promoted in provinces such as Guangdong, Yunnan, Sichuan and Hunan, creating a new situation in which rural tourism drives the poverty reduction through tourism.
In order to coordinate the poverty alleviation between departments and further increase the efforts of poverty reduction through tourism, in 2009, the CNTA officially became a member of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and
Development. In July 2012, the CNTA signed a cooperative framework agreement with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and
Development to determine the cooperation mechanism and clarified the key tasks. In December, poverty reduction through tourism was written into the
Outline for Poverty Reduction and Development of China
’
s Rural Areas (2011-2020)
, a programmatic document of poverty reduction through tourism. In August 2013, the
Guiding Opinions on Jointly Launching the
“
Pilot Areas for Poverty Reduction Through Tourism
”
was issued by the CNTA and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and
Development, which further clarified the application scope and process, laying the foundation for fully playing the exemplary driving role and exploring new models of poverty reduction through tourism.
At this stage, China
’
s poverty reduction through tourism was escalated to the national strategic level and become a key function of tourism development. Poverty reduction through tourism was becoming a new way, a new path and a new carrier to play the comprehensive function of tourism as well as to enlarge and strengthen the tourism industry. Through the integration between capital and policy and mechanism innovation, the relevant departments invested in rural tourism development and supporting projects. Consequently, the integration between village promotion and contiguous development and that between poverty alleviation and rural tourism boosted the economic development in poor areas and steady income increase of poor households.
(4) Phase IV (Since 2013): Targeted and Efficient
In November 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly put forward the concept of “targeted poverty alleviation” when he visited Xiangxi in Hunan. In December of the same year, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the
Opinions on Innovating on Mechanism and Earnestly Promoting the Work of Development-oriented Poverty Reduction for Rural Areas
, listing poverty reduction through rural tourism as one of the ten key tasks for poverty reduction in the new era, and proposing to the work goal of “supporting about 2,000 poor villages to carry out rural tourism by 2015 and 6,000 by 2020”. The promulgation of the
Opinions
marked the entry of China
’
s poverty alleviation from an extensive to a targeted stage. In August 2014, the
Several Opinions of the State Council on Promoting the Reform and Development of the Tourism Industry
proposed the “targeted poverty reduction through tourism” and that
“we should vigorously develop rural tourism, strengthen targeted poverty reduction through tourism, steadily advance the rural tourism projects to enrich local people, and guide poor areas to get rid of poverty”. In November 2014, the National Development and Reform Commission and other six ministries and commissions issued the
Notice on Implementing Poverty Reduction Through Tourism Projects in Rural Areas
, which clarified the basic principles, main objectives, key tasks and guarantee measures for poverty reduction through tourism. At the end of 2014, the State Council included poverty reduction through tourism in ten targeted poverty reduction projects. To implement the relevant policies of the State Council, in May 2015, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation
and
Development and the CNTA launched pilots in some registered poverty-stricken villages, marking the entry of targeted poverty reduction through tourism in the practical phase. In August, the National Conference on Promoting Rural Tourism Improvement and Tourism Poverty Alleviation was held, emphasizing that we should fully play the strategic role of rural tourism in poverty alleviation, make all efforts to build rural tourism into an important carrier of beautiful rural areas, and promote poverty reduction through rural tourism.
In November 2015, properly advancing targeted poverty reduction was stressed again in the
Decision of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Winning the Tough Battle against Poverty
and the
Planning on the Division of Important Policies and Measures for the Decision of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Winning the Tough Battle against Poverty
. In order to implement the spirit of the above-mentioned documents, in September 2016, 12 departments including the CNTA jointly issued the
Action Plan for Rural Tourism Poverty Alleviation Projects
, aiming to implement the rural tourism poverty alleviation projects in depth and give full play to the role of rural tourism in targeted poverty reduction and elimination. The
Plan
required all areas to determine the types of rural tourism construction and development according to local conditions and choose the model of poverty alleviation to the households, accurately and effectively implement the policies and register poor households and people in key villages for poverty reduction through tourism to practically enhance the efficiency.
The proposal and implementation of targeted poverty reduction through tourism marked a new height and qualitative changes of poverty reduction through tourism in China. Compared with other poverty alleviation methods, thanks to its strong market advantage, emerging industrial vitality, powerful blood pumping and huge driving effect, poverty reduction through tourism plays an increasingly important role in poverty reduction as a new force in unpredictable momentum.
2. China’s experience in poverty reduction through tourism
China has explored and innovated many effective models and practices in promoting the poverty reduction through tourism.
Firstly, building pilot zones of poverty reduction through tourism. Pilot zones in extremely poor areas with rich tourism resources are an important spatial carrier for poverty reduction through tourism, which can help local people to get rid of poverty by developing tourism under the support of local policies. China has built five pilot zones for poverty reduction through tourism respectively in Liupanshan in Ningxia, Fuping in Hebei, Ganzhou and Ji
’
an in Jiangxi, and Aershan in Inner Mongolia since 2000. These pilot zones have boosted institutional innovation, infrastructure improvement and marketing and also the tourism and economic society in pilot areas.
Secondly, advancing the poverty reduction through tourism under the harmonious combination of agriculture and tourism. The harmonious combination of agriculture and tourism is that villagers engage in tourism activities or tourism-related business activities at spare time of agricultural activities to increase income and employment chances. This model is less risky, acceptable and effective for farmers. The main forms of villager participation include agritainment, sightseeing agriculture, guide, amusement projects, cultural performances, and opening of facade shops. For example, some community residents of Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Park in Yunnan are engaged in catering, accommodation, shopping, etc. using their houses as business premises, while some participate in tour guide services and scenic spots performances, all of whom have benefited from the development of tourism.
Thirdly, advancing the poverty reduction through tourism via relocation. Villagers living in harsh living conditions and inconvenient transport are relocated to centralized resettlement sites featuring convenient transport and complete infrastructure. In this way they can be guided to engage tourism-related business activities to end poverty. Xiazhuang Village in Yesanpo Scenic Area, Lishui County, Hebei had less harvested crops due to the poor soil in mountains and harsh living conditions. Under the mobilization of village cadres, 28 households moved out and engaged in business activities such as catering, accommodation, transportation, and retail sales. Their economic income and living conditions have been significantly improved. Besides, more poor villages are attracted from surrounding villages to settle in.
Fourthly, driving the poverty reduction through tourism by building featured tourist towns. Improving tourism facilities and services per high standards and building featured tourist towns in areas characterizing rich natural and human landscapes have become a highlight in China
’
s new urbanization construction and contributed to promoting local poor people
’
s employment, driving regional poverty alleviation and achieving sustainable development. Jiuzhou Featured Town is one of the earliest five Chinese featured towns in Guizhou. This small town, praised as
“the top town like a small dreamful Jiangnan in southwestern China”, was built in 1351 per the principle of “small but beautiful, rich and special”. It has grown into a green tourism town relying on its ecological and cultural advantages and also a beautiful and happy town based on its closest urbanization path. In the past three years, the per capita net income of farmers in Jiuzhou town has achieved a triple jump, and in 2015 it exceeded RMB 10,000.
Fifthly, mobilizing the poverty reduction through tourism relying on scenic spots. The assistance in scenic spots is to rely on mature scenic spots to help surrounding villages by absorbing surplus labor, subsidizing infrastructure construction, and developing tourism reception. In the process of poverty reduction through tourism, Chongdugou Scenic Spot in Funiushan, Henan has realized the balance of interests between the government, enterprises and farmers. Companies run in sightseeing and farmers engage in accommodation, catering and other services in the scenic spot, which constitute complementary products and form a community of “companies + farmers”. The government has not promoted farmhouse hotels as an independent property tourism enterprise to participate in the operations of the scenic spot, but also stipulated the community model of “companies + farmers” after transferring the management right. The reasonable distribution of interests among various stakeholders, the maximized benefit most farmers through in-depth involvement in tourism development, and the penetration of economic behavior of tourism enterprises in local social and economic relations have enhances the sustainable development ability of the scenic spot.
Sixthly, stimulating the poverty reduction through tourism by demonstration. In poor areas with abundant tourism resources, residents who have been rich through tourism development can provide other poor people with the concepts, experiences, methods, knowledge and skills of direct or indirect participation in tourism development to enhance the self-development ability and confidence of the poor and achieve the goal of “getting away from poverty from points to the area”. In 1998, Ruheng Longbu served as the
D
irector of the Tourism Bureau in Ninglang County, Yunnan. Knowing the urgent need for tourism development, he proposed to open a family hostel in his place of origin (Daluo
shui
Community in
L
