Disruption and tourism transition? Post-reconstruction in Sichuan (2008 earthquake) and Nepal (2015 earthquake)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Transition involves a disruption in the normal functioning of a territory as a result of a traumatic event which upsets the stability of a system, thus marking a before and an after. It forms part of a future development and presupposes a trigger, which, in this instance, is the notion of crisis. As areas affected by natural hazards, Sichuan (China) and northern Kathmandu (Nepal), which are located in the same Himalayan tectonic zone, act as observatories for reconstruction, situating these territories between disruption and continuity. This article explores the key role of tourism capital in the reconstruction of tourism sites in these two areas, focusing on aspects of memory and time. In the case of Sichuan, it analyses the process of transition from a pre-existing tourism model based on traditional culture to a new, more diverse model incorporating leisure tourism. In parallel, the memorial aspect of (re)developing damaged sites for tourism has created dark tourism which moves beyond memorialisation to revalorisation of the local economy. In Nepal, the time factor and the variety of stakeholders involved in reconstruction projects meant that the priority was to restore the preexisting tourism system. This article reveals the different trends associated with adapting existing tourism capital and the new opportunities for adjustment towards tourism transition.
Source: Via Tourism Review
DOI: 10.4000/169jp
Authors: Edith Fagnoni, Bingxin He
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7162095054