Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

The Bureau was informed of the findings of a Centre/IUCN mission to this site undertaken in September 1998. The mission found that the management authorities of this site has been effective in restricting hotel construction to areas outside of the property. Within the site, visitors have no option other than staying in small-scale tourist facilities established in the homes of the Tibetan villagers resident there. The mission found that the management authorities and the local people have entered into an effective partnership, material and social conditions of the villagers have considerably improved, and economic benefits accrued through tourism has eliminated the need for natural resources exploitation. The State Council of China has issued a directive to completely halt illegal logging in the site. Despite these positive features, the mission team found the site to be congested with tourists; the management has made it too easy for the visitors to enter the site en-masse and in vehicles that drive through the core area. Increasing visitation appears to be leading to mushrooming of several new hotels immediately outside the boundaries of the site.

The Bureau commended the Chinese authorities for their effective management of the site and encouraged them to establish a “park-and-drive” system and to limit travel within the site to smaller, environment-friendly vehicles. Visitors should be accompanied by trained guides who have the capacity to interpret the natural and World Heritage values of the site. The Bureau drew the attention of the Chinese authorities to the need to improve training of site staff so that they can better monitor and mitigate tourism impacts on the site. The Bureau recommended that the report of the Centre/IUCN mission be transmitted to the relevant Chinese authorities.