Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Environmental Policy and Governance
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1482713
This article is part of the Research Topic Ensuring Tourism Sustainability in Rural Communities View all articles

Multi-Level Governance of Low-Carbon Tourism in Rural China: Policy Evolution, Implementation Pathways, and Socio-Ecological Impacts

Provisionally accepted
Yi Guo Yi Guo 1Shengchao Li Shengchao Li 2*
  • 1 Guangzhou Panyu Polytechnic, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • 2 Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Low-carbon rural tourism development presents a critical challenge for environmental governance in emerging economies, yet the multi-level dynamics of policy implementation remain underexplored. This study examines China's approach to this challenge, employing a mixed-methods approach including analysis of 16 central and 559 provincial policy documents, case studies in 15 rural villages across five provinces (Hunan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanxi, and Hainan), and a survey of 637 stakeholders. Our findings reveal a complex policy landscape characterized by evolving national frameworks, varied provincial adoption patterns influenced by economic, environmental, and institutional factors, and three distinct local implementation pathways: technology-driven, community-based, and policy-led. We uncover significant variations in stakeholder perceptions and socio-economic impacts across different contexts, highlighting the critical role of adaptive governance mechanisms and local contextual factors in determining policy effectiveness. This study contributes to policy diffusion and multi-level governance theories by demonstrating the intricate interplay between top-down directives and bottom-up innovations in shaping sustainable tourism outcomes. Based on these insights, we propose evidence-based policy recommendations emphasizing flexible, context-sensitive approaches and improved stakeholder engagement to enhance low-carbon rural tourism governance. This research provides valuable guidance for policymakers and practitioners working towards sustainable rural development and environmental conservation in China and other developing countries.

    Keywords: environmental governance, Low-carbon tourism, Rural Development, policy diffusion, multi-level governance, China

    Received: 18 Aug 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Guo and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shengchao Li, Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.