The host-guest interactions in ethnic tourism, Lijiang, China

One key way to understand the influences of tourism on destination communities is through host-guest interactions. Yet most current studies on host-guest interactions focus on their nature and outcomes, and rarely on the microscopic process. This study focuses on one local resident's home located in Baisha Town, Lijiang, China, and investigates in depth the interaction processes there. By focusing on the intense interactions at the micro level, this study finds that locals and tourists often shifted the roles they played in the interactions between them. Also, the locals seem to be more active in the role shifting. The power of locals arises from their control of local knowledge and their usage of their private houses for business.