When hosts meet guests: Local residents' identity construction amidst rural tourism gentrification

Abstract

Amidst rural tourism gentrification, local residents' identity construction offers a window into how rapid local development transforms inter-subject power relations. Guided by embeddedness theory, a longitudinal case study in Ankang Village, China with 78 interviews and observations was conducted to explore the dynamics and mechanism of local residents' identity construction as hosts. Findings reveal that as tourism grows, local residents adopt interactive strategies of withdrawal, negotiation, and advocacy, constructing three identities: “nominal hosts”, “dubious hosts”, and “true hosts”. The reshuffling of identities results from the internal mechanism of “power disparity-interest consistency-identity subjectivity”. Successful demonstration by gentrifiers and equitable sharing of benefits would help the local community maintain its core status in dialogue with external entities, thereby achieving sustainable community-based tourism.