From mosaic to relational place: Place transformation of tourism destinations

Abstract

Tourism industries are driving place transformation for many tourist destinations. Scholars have carried out a large number of empirical studies on the tourism-driven place transformation, but have neglected the construction of the analytical framework for place transformation. Based on the "place" theory in cultural geography, this study identified the dimensions of place transformation and constructed an analytical framework for place transformation. Taking the tourist destination of Fenghuang Ancient Town (FAT) as a case study, this study obtained first-hand data through interviews and non-participatory observation, collected online texts and historical documents, and analyzed the data through text analysis, comparative analysis, and mapping and visualization. This study revealed the place transformation characteristics and mechanisms of FAT before and after its tourism development from 2000 to 2019. The results are as follows: In the analytical framework for place transformation constructed in this study, place transformation can be observed by the transformation of its constitutive dimensions of place, which include location, locale, and sense of place. The static and bounded "location" are transformed to open and networked. With regard to "locale", material environment for meeting the needs of local residents are transformed to meet the needs of multiple population across multi-scale space, while close social relations among residents are transformed into multi-group and multiple types of social relations. The "sense of place" is transformed from stable, rooted, and insiders-owned to pluralistic and owned by both internal and external populations. The case study of FAT preliminarily validated the analytical framework for place transformation. The three dimensions of location, locale, and sense of place of FAT had undergone significant transformation after local tourism development. The FAT was transformed from a "mosaic" into a "relational place". The place transformations of FAT are the results of multi-scale processes in which tourism market, state agencies, and local subjects interact through the mechanisms of commercialization, institutional design, and agency, respectively. This study enriches the theoretical research of place transformation and provides some theoretical guidance for local tourism planning and development.