Establishing community-based bed & breakfast clusters in national parks: institutional analysis of bed & breakfast outsourcing policy in Kinmen National Park in Taiwan, China

From the perspective of national park management, this study explores how the policy of outsourcing the operation of B&Bs can meet tourists′ accommodation needs while simultaneously contributing to the preservation of rural landscapes, promoting local economic development, and easing the conflict between the national park′s restrictive land-use policies and the expectations of local residents by conducting a case study research into Kinmen National Park. The data collected from the case study were used to analyze the way in which the institutional arrangement of tourism planning can positively affect landscape preservation. The outsourcing policy of B&Bs also offers resettlement alternatives for relocated residents, aligning with the unique national context of China. It seeks to balance recreational demands within the national park, safeguard residents′ livelihoods, and cultivate an ecotourism industry. The case study focuses on Kinmen National Park in Taiwan Province. Following the establishment of the park, the preservation of traditional architecture and villages became a key policy goal. The Kinmen National Park Headquarters encouraged residents to transfer the use rights of their buildings to the park authority for a period of 30 years. The park would then invest in renovating the buildings into B&Bs and subsequently outsource their operation to individuals through an open bidding process, creating a B&Bs cluster within the villages. This study adopts a longitudinal research approach using one-on-one interviews and direct observation, starting in 2009 and continuing to the present. The findings indicate that: (1) B&Bs can serve as an effective landscape preservation strategy; (2) B&Bs can help reconcile the conflict between conservation and development; (3) B&Bs can attract leading talents in the service sector; and (4) B&Bs can improve the overall service quality of local hospitality industry. Therefore, it is a successful case of innovation in managing National Park Service landscape, hospitality services, and community-based tourism.