Developing and Marketing Tourist Attractions in Ethnic Minority Destinations: Dilemmas from the supply-side in Congjiang, China

ABSTRACT

While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the increasing popularity of rural and ethnic tourism, little research has examined what ethnic minority resources should be included as tourist attractions in their development stage. Building upon the seminal work of Leiper's tourist attraction system, this paper reveals what and how ethnic resources are selected and included in tour itineraries, in particular in rural areas where tourism development has started recently. The findings that are drawn from a field study, thematic interviews, and the analysis of government-endorsed promotional materials of Congjiang show that, apart from the intrinsic cultural value, the tour inclusion value that incorporates accessibility and the capacity of supporting facilities does not merely play the 'conditioning role' but instead becomes a prerequisite in an ethnic minority destination that is rurally situated.