Asset-based community development as applied to tourism in Tibet

This article is one of the first tourism studies to adopt the asset-based community development (ABCD) approach. It explores the potential of the ABCD approach to tourism development as a poverty alleviation strategy. The study was undertaken in Lhasa, Tibet. Photo-elicitation interviews, focus group interviews, and a questionnaire-based survey were used. It was found that the Tibetan young hosts had a good knowledge of local assets. They identified five categories of local assets as having the most potential to be developed as tourism attractions in the near future. The identified tourism assets were world heritage sites, religious sites, traditional Tibetan yards, daily life and customs, and Tibetan medicines – the last four assets were undeveloped ones. Clear perceptions on the value of the assets, as well as the difficulty and desirability of their development in the future were also mapped, using repeated measures one-way analysis of variance. Through the process of assessing the tourism assets, this study identified in a preliminary way that adopting the ABCD approach to poverty alleviation through tourism is feasible. By mapping other assets in the community (e.g. human, social, financial, and physical), a further and more complete test of the approach can be undertaken. Examining these assets may also reveal more ideas for the community's common future. Theoretically, this work adds to the conceptual approaches for community-based tourism development work. Methodologically, this study illustrates research techniques for obtaining emic voices in a marginal and politically charged environment. The extensive use of the participants’ images as a basis for discussion was of particular note. Practically, this research offers both general and detailed suggestions for the Lhasa Government and its community work, especially ways to approach and access community perspectives.