Tourism In Ethnic Minority Areas Across The Study

China has been a united multi-ethnic country since Qin and Han Dynasties. For a long time, people of different ethnic nationalities embraced their cultures, formed the history. China today is a big family consisted of 56 nationalities, among them Han made up the overwhelming majority population. The population of other 55 nationalities is relatively very small. Therefore, they are known as the ethnic minorities. The distribution of China's ethnic groups has a distinctive character, that is they live together over vast areas while some live in individual concentrated communities in small areas. They mainly live in the areas from the north to the northwest, and the southwest region of China. These regions are normally referred as the ethnic minority areas. Owing to the historical, natural, and geographical factors, the social and economic development of the ethnic minority areas is behind other regions. After the founding of New China, the government instituted a system of regional autonomy in minority areas to promote the social and economical development of these areas. The progress of promoting the development of the minority areas of the central government can be divided into three stages:1, The First-five Plan period, from 1953 to 1957.2, Three construction period from 1964 to 1978.3, The Development of West Regions period. Through these three stages, the development of the minority regions has achieved tremendous success. However, we have to face this reality:on one hand, these regions are developing at a fast speed, on the other hand, however, the gap between these regions and other areas is widened. Re-examine the history of the policies took by the government, one can easy to find out that the development of the areas has always been promoted by the investment of the central government, and this made them a certain degree of dependent on the government.Tourism has become a major global industry. The status of tourism has been rising in China. Therefore, tourism is making increasing contribution to the development of the national economy, especially to the ethnic minority areas, tourism has even become the mainstay industry. In December 1,2009, the State Council issued the 41 file, The State department opinion on promoting tourism development. This document raises the strategy to the development of tourism in a new period, suggests that tourism should be the mainstay industry of the national economy, and the modern service industry which serves the mass people in a more satisfied way. The document has further defined the tourism industry positioning to create a more favorable environment. The conclusion may be made by looking back into the past, the ethnic areas should develop in a new path, which is different from the manufacturing industry of the east. Compare these factors, one can find that tourism is not only the predominant industry of the ethnic areas, but also due to its promoting function, holds an irreplaceable role to the all-round development of the ethnic areas. To emulate the developed eastern coastal areas is not only the urgent aspiration of the ethnic regions, but also the primary demand of the sustainable economic development of China. Emulation means leapfrog development, which implies supernormal development. However, this leapfrog development is neither unconstrained imagination, nor a miracle unachievable. Instead, it is based on strict scientific research, with rather extensive experience and practice. This strategy is made under this current situation. It can be considered as endogenous development, which takes leapfrog system as the breakthrough point, makes full use of the multiplying effect of tourism, to promote the all-round development of the economic development of the ethnic regions. The leapfrog development of tourism of the ethnic areas must first clear define the principal part. People of all ethnic groups are the main body of this development. They are not only the important components which take part in the process, but are also the main interests subjects. This is the key to the leapfrog development. The historical opportunity, resources and policy superiority are the foundation, whereas the government, enterprises and other industries are the critical factors of the leapfrog development. This dissertation will centre on the basic factors, tries to propose the methods of the leapfrog development of tourism of the ethnic areas.