Political Economy of Tourism Development in Rural China: Case of Luting Township, Zhejiang

In current China?s rural development, sustainable discourses are used by decision-makers at all levels in order to create a viable ecological system and sustainable growth in rural areas, under the pressure of urbanization. Through a case study of a rural sustainable tourism planning project in China, this study examines the interweaving political and economic initiatives behind the tourism planning decision-making, in particular, through the discussion of political cadres? discourses and social actions with the application of Jessop?s Strategic-Relational Approach (SRA). The result indicates the dual-relationship between structural constraints from the state and strategic responses from local level political cadres result in the decision-making in rural tourism development. The study of these political cadres at different levels also help to overview the rural tourism governance and power relationship in tourism planning.