Agricultural heritage conservation, tourism and community livelihood in the process of urbanization - Xuanhua Grape Garden, Hebei Province, China

Tourism can be an important strategy for conserving traditional agricultural systems and potentially enhancing livelihoods of hosting communities. The intricate and complex relations between agricultural heritage conservation, tourism and community livelihoods are examined at a GIAHS site in China. Through multi-stakeholder interviews, the study illustrates that the increased government support and public awareness after GIAHS designation do not ease the struggle between conservation and development at Guanhou Village. Particularly in the context of fast urbanization, multi-layer integration of tourism and the agricultural heritage system should be sought to sustain traditional agriculture and enhance community livelihoods. Practical implications are then discussed.