Exploring Place Attachment and Impacts of Landscape Changes in Victoria's Chinatown

This research explores how local Chinese community leaders and stakeholders in Victoria’s Chinatown understand and respond to changes in the area’s physical and symbolic environment. Using qualitative methods, including interviews, TripAdvisor reviews, and document analysis, the study examines how people form emotional, cognitive, and behavioral connections to the place. The findings show that many participants feel a sense of loss or disconnection as the area becomes more commercial and tourist-oriented. At the same time, others still value it as a meaningful cultural site. The study introduces the conceptual model of “contested place attachment” to describe these mixed feelings. It also suggests that tourism and branding have shaped how Chinatown is presented, often in ways that do not reflect the views of the local community. This research offers practical suggestions for tourism planning and heritage management that are more inclusive and sensitive to the needs of long-term residents.

Author dc:creator

• Cheung, Ching Hei

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• White, Brian

• School of tourism and hospitality management

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25316/IR-20440

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10613/28876