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| A RESEARCH ON POVERTY REDUCTION THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN NUJIANG GRAND CANYON |
| LI Yi-min1, JIANG Rui2 |
1. Institute of Geography, Department of Environment and Resource, Yunnan University, Kunming 650223, China;
2. Yunnan Tourism School, Kunming 650222, China |
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Abstract The region of Nujiang Grand Canyon, where ethnic minorities live, is a poverty-stricken area. Because of the geographical environment of high mountains and steep slope, a fragile ecological environment, it is difficult to change the situation of poverty through traditional agricultural industry. Therefore, it is necessary to explore a way of poverty reduction and elimination in the region of Nujiang Grand Canyon. Currently, tourism industry in this region is underdeveloped. However, the authors believe that the tourism industry will help the regional development because of the rich tourism resources of the Nujiang Grand Canyon and the characteristics of the tourism itself which is an industry of low cost and high benefit. The authors insist that pro-poor tourism (PPT) should be encouraged. PPT is not another form of tourism as most people tend to think but it is an approach that seeks to utilize tourism as strategic tool to alleviate poverty among the marginalized communities. Any form of tourism can contribute to poverty reduction. For this to happen, specific ways need to be identified in which tourism businesses as well as tourists can directly and indirectly generate benefits for the poor. In essence, PPT is an overall approach to tourism development and management aiming at unlocking opportunities for the poor to obtain benefits from tourism. There is overlap between PPT and sustainable tourism. The latter refers to tourism that leads to the management of all resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. The main thrust is on environmental sustainability. Social benefits are just one aspect of sustainability, whereas for PPT poverty is the core focus and environmental sustainability is a means to that end. After analyze the PPT of the region of Nujiang Grand Canyon, the authors believe that this region will attract more and more tourists from home and abroad. The paper proposes that the target of tourism development is rural ecotourism in Nujiang, and special tourism products should be developed. At the same time, the government would play a guiding and supporting role.
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Received: 18 October 2009
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2010, Vol. 25 
