Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the concept of ethnic tourism and presents the study goals, objectives and questions. It reviews the tourism and planning literatures relevant to this research to establish the theoretical context. The book illustrates the historical background, geographic distribution and current status of China's ethnic minorities and ethnic tourism development from the national level to the local level. It examines the role of the government in tourism development, and their involvement in and attitudes towards ethnic tourism. The book analyzes the perceptions of tourists and their motivations and attitudes towards ethnic tourism. It explores the role of tourism entrepreneurs and their perceptions of ethnic tourism. The book summarizes and compares the perspectives of the four stakeholder groups. Finally, it discusses major findings and provides implications for tourism planning and recommendations for the future planning of ethnic tourism.