Sustainability and nature-based mass tourism: lessons from China's approach to the Huangshan Scenic Park

China's government-led model for sustainable mass tourism, exemplified by Huangshan Scenic Park, reveals a dual structure: efficient management at core sites and economic growth, juxtaposed with unsustainable practices in surrounding communities. This approach, while practical through top-down control and learning-by-doing, risks path dependency, hindering integrated development. The study highlights that without systematic planning for societal transformation, environmental pressures are exported to inadequately managed buffer zones, creating suboptimal outcomes. Parallels with global models suggest a need for balanced, community-inclusive strategies to avoid long-term sustainability challenges.

Xu, H., Zhu, D., & Bao, J. (2015). Sustainability and nature-based mass tourism: lessons from China’s approach to the Huangshan Scenic Park. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 24(2), 182–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2015.1071381