Title: Managerial perceptions of an ethnic theme park: Yunnan Ethnic Folk Villages, China

Authors: Li Yang

Addresses: Department of Geography, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5424, USA

Abstract: Ethnic theme parks, as a relatively new tourism product, play a vital part in promoting ethnic culture and tourism development. This research explores the roles and perceptions of the managers of a nationally well-known ethnic theme park in Kunming, China: Yunnan Ethnic Folk Villages (YEFV). It discuss, in a broader context, issues and considerations that are pertinent to the development and management of ethnic theme parks. It is shown that the park is both recreational and political. The managers face many problems including financial difficulties, bureaucracy, cultural issues, labour disputes and human resource shortages. It is a challenge to satisfy the expectations of tourists and to meet the goals of the government and the owners and, thus, to fulfil the three-part purpose for which YEFV was created. It is argued that adapting to market changes, further enterprise reforms and effective ethnic involvement in management are essential for the sustainability of ethnic theme parks.

Keywords: China; ethnic theme parks; Yunnan Ethnic Folk Villages; managerial perceptions; culture; tourism development; Kunming; management; managers; financial difficulties; bureaucracy; cultural issues; labour disputes; human resource shortages; tourist expectations; government goals; adaptability; market changes; enterprise reforms; ethnic involvement; recreational factors; political aspects; tourism anthropology; tourist industry; tourists.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTA.2010.036845

International Journal of Tourism Anthropology, 2010 Vol.1 No.1, pp.35 - 54

Published online: 12 Nov 2010 *

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