Catch me if you can: informal tourism employment of locals in scenic-oriented rural communities

Local residents in scenic-oriented rural communities, particularly those in Fujian Tulou villages, are extensively involved in informal tourism employment due to limited job prospects and the unique rural land ownership system in China. These individuals employ tactics such as camouflage, tacit collusion, lurking, and covert actions to navigate regulations while engaging in informal work. The study highlights that support from rural social networks further motivates this behavior. To standardize management, local governments and tourism companies are introducing formal employment opportunities and profit-sharing arrangements to regularize local employment in the tourism sector.

Huang, C., Xu, H., & Li, H. (2024). Catch me if you can: informal tourism employment of locals in scenic-oriented rural communities. Labor History, 66(1), 90–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656x.2024.2348524