| Author: | Han, Chuyun |
| Title: | Enhancing ethnic tourism sustainability : a multi-stakeholder perspective under the ESG framework |
| Advisors: | Lin, Michael (SHTM) |
| Degree: | DHTM |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | x, 183 pages : illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Sustainable tourism development has gained prominence worldwide. The United Nations has introduced sustainable development goals to advocate for and guide the future development of global tourism. To explore the impact of sustainable development on cultural diversity preservation, community engagement, and poverty alleviation, this study focuses on ethnic tourism, which is described as being marketed to the public based on the unique customs of indigenous and exotic peoples, providing tourists with intimate and authentic experiences. While the sustainable development of ethnic tourism has garnered widespread discussion, existing research rarely addresses the role of ethnic tourism enterprises in achieving sustainable development, as well as the willingness of local communities to support in ethnic tourism. Grounded in stakeholder theory and social exchange theory, this study employes the ESG framework as a central theme to evaluate the sustainability of ethnic tourism enterprises and to assess communities’ willingness to support tourism development. To address the objectives, two studies were conducted. First, Study 1 examined the key ESG factors prioritized by ethnic tourism enterprises from a multi-stakeholder perspective, drawing insights from five ethnic tourism management members, three government official, and five ethnic cultural practitioners. Second, based on the findings of Study 1, a revised Perceived ESG Scale was developed and validated through EFA and CFA, resulting in a final scale comprising three items for environmental, five for social, and four for governance. Third, Study 2 collected 338 responses from local communities to evaluate their perceptions of ESG practices in ethnic tourism enterprises and their willingness to support sustainable tourism development. The findings of Study 2 revealed that benefits hold a complementary partial mediating role between perceived ESG and support for tourism. Additionally, the group comparison between indigenous and non-indigenous residents indicated that indigenous residents demonstrated greater tolerance toward inconveniences impacts brought by tourism, as well as a stronger willingness to support for tourism. This research marks the first application of the ESG framework in the context of ethnic tourism, expanding its explanatory power in different tourism sectors and enhancing the understanding of enterprise behaviors that influence sustainable ethnic tourism. Additionally, the study incorporates stakeholder theory and social exchange theory to examine how ESG practices are perceived by social groups. The sustainable development of ethnic tourism calls for greater attention to the communitarian formed by multiple stakeholders, with the aim of fostering a cohesive society built on community solidarity. Limitations and future studies are also discussed. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8712.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.02 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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