Coastal zone management focusing on coastal tourism in a transitional period of China

Abstract

Coastal zone management in China has undergone a developmental leap since 1978, a turning point in the country's economic and institutional reform. In examining China's reform in coastal management, this paper assesses the evolution of marine activities including coastal tourism. It also looks into the present issues of coastal resource uses and how administrative agencies responded to those coastal resource issues especially as the country moves from a planned economy to a market economy, and from centralized governance to decentralized governance. This paper also proposes a management approach for coastal tourism management in the future of China. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.