COASTAL RESORT DEVELOPMENT IN A TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY: A CASE STUDY ON DALIAN, CHINA

摘要

As one of the largest oceanic nations in the world China has rich coastal resources to develop coastal tourism. Its coastal zone has witnessed intensive economic reforms since 1978 when the country launched its open door policy and coastal tourism has undergone the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. Dalian, which is one of the earliest 14 open-door coastal cities, has undergone the political and economic transformation in tourism and hence it was chosen as a case study. Based on the investigation of 42 beach resorts in Dalian, a six-phase resort landscape development model is presented and its evolution is indicated by factors such as resort morphology, economic setting, physical environment, land use pattern, zoning, and planning. This model provides some future directions on sustainable coastal tourism in China.