新乡村经济精英在乡村旅游中的形成和作用机制研究——以虎跳峡徒步路线为例

A Research on the Forming and Acting Mechanism of New Rural Economic Elites in Rural Tourism:Based on a Case Study of Tiger Leaping George Hiking Route in Yunnan,China

文章从乡村精英的性质、特点等方面对这一特殊阶层做出初步分析,以虎跳峡徒步路线地区为例,分析受益于乡村旅游的发展,脱胎草根而非传统权力社会的新乡村经济精英的形成及其在乡村旅游中的地位,探索应如何更好地发挥他们的作用,从而带动欠发达地区乡村旅游业的发展,并为整个社区带来更大的福利。结论指出,中国欠发达地区的乡村需要培育和支持新乡村经济精英,虎跳峡徒步路线发展乡村旅游的模式值得其他欠发达地区借鉴。该案例研究对社会学领域的社会分层理论和人类学领域的旅游涵化理论都具有一定的借鉴意义。

Rural elites have been an important force of China＇ s rural development, but not much research has been done in this area in China. No one has discussed the role that the rural elites played in the development of rural tourism so far. Based on literature review, the author analyzes the nature, feature and significance of this special class. Having done a case study on Tiger Leaping George Hiking Route and taking four times field trips and follow- up telephone interviews through the year 2003 to 2006, she explores how the new rural economic elites have come into being, how they act and develop rural tourism in the area. She points out that in the underdeveloped areas which possess scarce available resources other than tourism resources, it is necessary to cultivate and support new rural economic elites so that rural tourism can be developed and more welfare can be brought into the local community. Four major conclusions have been drawn after the research of the relation between new rural elites and rural tourism. Firstly, new economic elites are formed because of the deeply immersed interaction between the hosts and guests. Secondly, new economic elites shoulder great responsibility in developing rural tourism. Thirdly, the role of the elites played in rural tourism is affected by the travelers. The new rural economic elites have frequent interaction with the visitors, thus their products and ideas come directly from the visitors. Lastly, the role that the new elites took in the rural tourism and rural administration has shifted from non-governance to governance elites. Enforcing reasonable system such as institutional democracy and helping them to have certain political power will be important to the stability as well as the overall development of the economy, society, environment and ideology of the rural area at the grass-roots. The case study has implications to social stratification theory in sociology as well as tourism acculturation theory in anthropology.