Social impacts from tourism development in protected areas: Comparing communities in different conservation zones of Wulingyuan World Heritage Site, China

The various functions of protected areas (including conservation and tourism) have increasingly inflicted complex social impacts on local communities. With 702 questionnaires and 101 interviews with local people and officials, this mixed-methods study investigated the social impacts of conservation governance and tourism development in the Wulingyuan World Heritage Site, a globally renowned tourist destination in China. Our quantitative research revealed that many negative social impacts were experienced by local people, although there were some benefits including improvement in social relations, living environment, and education. The negative social impacts related to reduced social equity & empowerment, impacts on livelihoods & wellbeing, and impacts on local culture. Our qualitative research revealed the many concerns of local people, including about loss of land, involuntary resettlement, building restrictions, and inequitable protected area management practices. Together, our quantitative and qualitative results indicated that communities close to the core protection zones experienced more negative impacts, whereas people living in the buffer zones have less concerns. It was very evident that tourism development has not enhanced the wellbeing of people in host communities equally. We conclude that there is need for more inclusive, participatory, and equitable governance and for co-management processes in protected area management. There also needs to be greater recognition of the potential contribution of traditional livelihoods to nature conservation and for a fairer distribution of the benefits arising from tourism. Finally, greater attention should be given to local culture in the governance and management of protected areas and national parks. • Communities closer to core protection zones experience more negative impacts. • Land acquisition for conservation purposes is a major cause of social impacts. • Inequality in regulations and restrictions intensify local grievances. • Tourism development exacerbates social inequity and disempowerment. • Loss of culture from tourism development is an acknowledged but unaddressed issue.