Abstract: As an important means of targeting poverty alleviation and eradication, pro-poor tourism is key to lifting impoverished farmers and herders in the Tibetan areas of Sichuan Province out of poverty. Against the background of these areas building comprehensive pro- poor tourism experimental zones and giving play to the role of tourism in increasing the income of impoverished farmers and herders and lifting them out of poverty, this paper explores ways to improve the willingness and participation of impoverished farmers and herders in pro- poor tourism, which is of great significance to Sichuan’s Tibetan areas in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society along with the rest of the country. On the basis of the theory of planned behavior, this paper builds a theoretical model on the participation of impoverished farmers and herders in pro-poor tourism and applies the double-threshold model to the analysis of factors influencing the willingness of impoverished Tibetan farmers and herders to take part. Empirical results indicate the following. In Sichuan’s Tibetan areas, impoverished male farmers and herders show a stronger willingness to participate in pro- poor tourism, and the possibility of participating in pro-poor tourism decreases with the age of the impoverished farmers and herders. Impoverished farmers and herders who own grassland, yaks or superior homes show a stronger willingness to participate in pro-poor tourism and a greater possibility to participate. The willingness of impoverished farmers and herders to participate in pro-poor tourism is positively correlated with their behavioral attitude towards pro- poor tourism, support from significant others and individual competence/control. On the whole, behavioral attitudes, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms have, through a willingness to participate, a positive mediating effect of 0.0629 on the participation of impoverished farmers and herders in pro- poor tourism. From the perspective of the richness in tourism resources, behavioral attitude, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms have, through a willingness to participate, a positive mediating effect of 0.0772 in counties (cities) with medium tourism resources, while that figure is 0.0283 in counties (cities) with rich tourism resources. This shows that the mediating effect of a willingness to participate is valid only in counties (cities) with medium or rich tourism resources. Based on the results outlined above, this paper puts forward four proposals. First, better skills training should be provided to impoverished young female farmers and herders on tourism- related knowledge, Mandarin language ability and service etiquette. Second, the talent of impoverished female farmers and herders who regularly don ethnic costume and participate in dance should be tapped into, and well- targeted tourism programs with Tibetan features should be developed. Third, funding should be provided to lower the threshold for impoverished farmers and herders to participate. Fourth, more efforts should be made in publicizing favorable policies on pro-poor tourism in order to increase the willingness to participate. In the end, pro-poor tourism will help lift impoverished farmers and herders in Sichuan’s Tibetan areas out of poverty.
Key words: impoverished farmers and herders; pro- poor tourism; participation behavior; double threshold model; Tibetan areas of Sichuan Province
The Chinese version appeared in Tourism Tribune, 2017(01).