Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Jiaojiao Yin is a Ph.D. candidate at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Central China Normal University. She is also a joint training student at the Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University. Her research interests fall under regional tourism and environment and tourists’ behavior.

Dr. Lina Xiong is a tourism marketing researcher with a strong focus on internal branding for organizations and destinations. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. She also directs the US-China Tourism Lab for Destination Development and Wellbeing.

Christina T. Cavaliere, Ph.D., is as an environmental social scientist and international sustainable development specialist with a focus on linking tourism and biocultural conservation. Dr. Cavaliere’s areas of expertise involve the human dimensions of socio-ecological systems. She is an Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University.

Dr. Huafang Qiao is an Associate Professor in the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences at Central China Normal University. Her current research interest focuses on various aspects of pro-poor tourism in Western Hubei Province.

Dr. Yaoyan Jia is a lecturer in the Faculty of Culture Tourism at Shanxi University of Finance and Economics in China. Her research areas include tourism geography and sustainable development of rural tourism.

Shuangyu Xie(Corresponding author), Ph.D., is a Professor and vice dean at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Central China Normal University. She is also the vice director of the Wuhan Branch of China Tourism Academy. Her interests cover all aspects of tourism geography, regional tourism and environment, but especially focus on tourism impacts.

Abstract (150 Words)

Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) is recognized as an effective development approach in China, especially in rural areas. However, with the considerable scale of PPT, the extent to which tourism participation transitioned from traditional livelihoods may impact the natural environment lacks research attention. This study seeks to measure the accumulated carbon emissions during livelihood transitions in PPT. Data was collected from 425 households in 12 villages in the rural area of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous state of Hubei Province, China. An extended STIPRAT model is adopted to estimate carbon emission differences before and after livelihood transitions. Participants were categorized into five groups based on their reported level of tourism participation. It is found that transforming to tourism-related professions generally produced an increase in carbon emissions. This increase is higher for larger households and lower for households with more diversified livelihoods and higher education levels.

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Examining the environmental impact of pro-poor tourism in China: The case of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous State in China

Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) is recognized as an effective development approach in China, especially in rural areas. However, with the considerable scale of PPT, the extent to which tourism participation transitioned from traditional livelihoods may impact the natural environment lacks research attention. This study seeks to measure the accumulated carbon emissions during livelihood transitions in PPT. Data was collected from 425 households in 12 villages in the rural area of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous state of Hubei Province, China. An extended STIPRAT model is adopted to estimate carbon emission differences before and after livelihood transitions. Participants were categorized into five groups based on their reported level of tourism participation. It is found that transforming to tourism-related professions generally produced an increase in carbon emissions. This increase is higher for larger households and lower for households with more diversified livelihoods and higher education levels.