The U.S.-China Lab for Destination Development draws on years of collaboration involving tourism researchers, planners and managers in these countries. Housed in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources (HDNR) at Colorado State University, the Lab continues expanding its network of global partners to carry out research and consulting work focused primarily on Chinese tourism and destination development, with an emphasis on destination prosperity and community wellbeing. Specific areas of interest for Directors Lina Xiong and David W. Knight include destination branding and sustainability, community empowerment, destination resilience, and protected area (including National Park) management.
Mission and Values
We exist to cultivate destination prosperity and community well-being through interdisciplinary tourism research.
Our values align with the values of the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University, in which the Lab is housed. These values include:
Integrity
Impact
Diversity
Innovation
Sustainability
Well-being
Select Publications
Gong, J., Shapovalova, A., Wei, L., & Knight, D. W. (2021). Resident support in China’s new national parks: An extension of the Prism of Sustainability. Current Issues in Tourism. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2021.1890699
Xiong, L., Wang, H., Yang, Y., & He, W. (2021). Promoting resident-tourist interaction quality when residents are expected to be hospitable hosts at destinations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 46. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.12.008
Knight, D. W., Xiong, L, & Gong, J. (2020). Impact of COVID-19: Research note on tourism and hospitality sectors in the first epicenter of Hubei, China. Int. Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. DOI: 10.1108/IJCHM-04-2020-0278
Li, Y., Knight, D. W., Luo, W., & Hu, J. (2020). Elite circulation in Chinese ethnic tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 85, 103030. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2020.103030.
Feng, J., Xie, S., Knight, D. W., Teng, S., & Liu, C. (2020). Tourism-induced landscape change along China’s rural-urban fringe: A case study of Zhangjiazha. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(8), 914-930, DOI: 10.1080/10941665.2020.1802310.
Knight, D. W., Nian, W., & Chen, E. (2020). Launching an online graduate degree for tourism management in China: Lessons in Chinese-foreign cooperation. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism. DOI: 10.1080/15313220.2019.1707148
Gong, J., Detchkhajornjaroensri, P., Knight, D. W. (2019). Responsible tourism in Bangkok, Thailand: Resident perceptions of Chinese tourist behaviour. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21, 221-233. DOI: 10.1002/jtr.2256