Evaluation of Local Development Effects Induced by Cultural Tourism：A Case Study of Community of Che-Cheng on Jiji Rail Line
Date Issued
2007
Date
2007
Author(s)
Yu, Wen-Chin
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
There are numerous types of cultural tourism. This research is focused on the spur tracks around Taiwan, and their influence on cultural tourism and local development. Though the main lines around Taiwan still play an important role in round-island transportation, as the transportation network develops and the industrial structure changes, a lot of spur tracks are now being torn down, many of which used to be vitally related to various industries in the old days. However, some of the spur tracks are preserved, and their function is transformed from transportation to tourism development. Among them, three main spur tracks –the Nei-Wan Line, the Pin-Shi Line and the Ji-Ji Line, still remain much of the landscape they used to have. Because of the historical atmosphere that results from the old local industries, tourism along these spur tracks is both cultural and retrospective.
Many townships in Taiwan are launching the so-called cultural tourism in an attempt to revive local economic development. Compared with the main lines, spur railroad tracks are important in the development of local townships, because they bring in the tourists and vitalize the economy. Spur tracks are important tourism resources, because along the tracks tourists are able to experience the traditional industrial cultures. This research is focused on how local communities make use of the industrial cultures to develop their own unique local tourism. It is also focused on the cultural and special commodification that results from cultural tourism, and on the influence such commodification has on local development. The objectives of this research are as follows:
1. Investigating the phenomenon of the tourism commodification of place;
2. Analyzing how railroad tourism stimulate local development; and
3. Commenting on the future development of local cultural tourism.
The Che-Cheng community, located at the end of the Ji-Ji Line, faced a great population outflow as a result of industrialization and change in the industrial structure after the 1950s. Therefore, there have been the efforts devoted to cultural tourism in an attempt to revive local development.
The Community Development Association has been promoting local tourism since the mid 1990s, and in 2000 it joined the Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area Administrative Office. Since then, local tourism has been developing in a rapid pace, and brought about great change to local areas. This research probes into cultural tourism of the communities adjacent to spur tracks from the perspective: development of the communities as a whole development of and local areas. This research takes a deeper look at the influence of such tourism on local development. At the same time, it observes the commodification that results from tourism. Based on it findings, this research concludes with suggestion on future development. This research collects groundwork information from field studies and first-hand interviews. It considers the impact cultural tourism has on local development both based on first hand information and second hand information.
The research findings show that Che-Cheng has initiated new opportunities since it began to promote cultural tourism in 1990s. Through cultural tourism, local residents could rediscover their own traditional culture, then preserve it, and re-position it with creativity. It shows that the number of tourists has been increasing, so the tourism brings about economic benefits, including government subsidies which can be put to great use, various kinds of commodities which are abundant in local culture and very welcomed among tourists. Besides, local employment rate is also boosted because more jobs are now available.
Lastly, this research concludes with the following suggestion on railroad cultural tourism:
1. railroad cultural tourism needs full participation of local residents;
2. we need to constantly reflect on the influence of cultural commodification which results from railroad tourism;
3. railroad cultural tourism must be developed from the local perspective, and the best solution is to connect railroad tourism with local culture;
4. cultural commodification that results from local tourism can be viewed as realization of cultural creativity;
5. tourism marketing strategy should resort to local industrial history in order to appeal to the tourists.
Subjects
商品化
地方發展
railway culture
cultural tourism
commodification
local development
Type
thesis