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Tourism and the geopolitics of Buddhist heritage in Nepal

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  • Bhandari, Kalyan

Abstract

This study explores the intricacies of geopolitical imagination at a heritage attraction in Nepal, when a Chinese NGO proposed an investment project to develop it as tourism hub. It seeks to investigate the discourses and reasons deployed by Nepali tourism stakeholders in explaining the Chinese plan. The study applies qualitative methodology and the primary data which were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews. The study shows that in articulating the project aim, the agency of national actors is shaped by the regional power struggle and a ‘nationalist’ sentiment originated from perceived threat to the heritage in question. The finding is useful in understanding the complexities of geopolitical constraints that can influence tourism development projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhandari, Kalyan, 2019. "Tourism and the geopolitics of Buddhist heritage in Nepal," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 58-69.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:75:y:2019:i:c:p:58-69
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2018.12.006
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pfoser, Alena & Yusupova, Guzel, 2022. "Memory and the everyday geopolitics of tourism: Reworking post-imperial relations in Russian tourism to the ‘near abroad’," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
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    4. Gregory Fayard, 2024. "The geopolitics of outbound travel: Theorizing outgoing tourism as state strategy," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 42(5), pages 881-900, August.
    5. Jaffar Aman & Jaffar Abbas & Shahid Mahmood & Mohammad Nurunnabi & Shaher Bano, 2019. "The Influence of Islamic Religiosity on the Perceived Socio-Cultural Impact of Sustainable Tourism Development in Pakistan: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-27, May.
    6. Kiran Shinde, 2021. "“Imported Buddhism” or “Co-Creation”? Buddhist Cultural Heritage and Sustainability of Tourism at the World Heritage Site of Lumbini, Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Zhe Wang & Lawal Marafa, 2021. "Tourism Imaginary and Landscape at Heritage Site: A Case in Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, April.
    8. Siyue Chen & Yang Tan & Gengzhi Huang & Hongou Zhang & Hang Li, 2024. "China–ASEAN Tourism Economic Relationship Network: A Geopolitical Risk Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, November.

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