Learning by Doing: Educational Tourism at Mount Danxiashan

Abstract

Summary Educational tourism is a fast-growing market in China. Since Mount Danxiashan was listed as a Global Geopark and World Heritage Site in 2010, educational tourism has rapidly grown in the local community, becoming a flagship tourism product. This makes Mount Danxiashan an informative case for understanding educational tourism development and community participation. The present case study has two foci. First, we articulate the stakeholder collaboration mode at Mount Danxiashan. Various stakeholders, including but not limited to the administrative authority, research and education institutes, and local communities, co-determined to develop educational tourism as the best practice for local resources. The collaboration mode and the educational focus are critical in sustaining local development. Second, we depict the learning trajectory of the local community. Led by local intellectual elites, residents acquired both tourism- and nature-related knowledge and participated in educational tourism. This enabled them to design and deliver nature and heritage education curricula for tourists. Moreover, this process encouraged and empowered villagers to co-create new knowledge. Information © The Authors 2023