With the evolving global governance system and shifting geopolitical dynamics, tourism has increasingly become an essential dimension in the reshaping of international order. This study examines the Huangshan Scenic Area as a case study, employing participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and literature analysis to investigate the pathways, characteristics, and logic of a scenic area's participation in global governance, particularly through its interaction with international tourism organizations. The study finds that the engagement of scenic areas in global governance unfolds through a phased progression: "rule acceptance, knowledge reconstruction, rule output". In the initial phase, the scenic area becomes embedded in the asymmetric discourse power of international organizations, where it adjusts externally imposed rules to local contexts through limited autonomy, thus achieving localization and ensuring compliance with local frameworks. In the intermediate phase, as friction arises between local practices and international ideals, the area leverages accumulated local experiences, internalizes and re-expresses rules, and undergoes a process of governance knowledge reconstruction. This phase sees an upgrading of governance capabilities, with the scenic area gradually asserting its governance discourse through international exchanges. In the final phase, the area standardizes its experiential knowledge, expands its global networks, and actively shapes international agendas, driving the global dissemination of local governance knowledge and achieving a feedback loop in rule development. This process not only allows the scenic area to contribute to the formation of global governance structures but also enables it to assert its influence within these structures. This case study underscores the active role of scenic areas in reverse knowledge production and the shaping of global governance rules. It demonstrates how tourism destinations in developing countries, often at the periphery of global governance, have the potential to break free from knowledge marginalization, thereby contributing meaningfully to global tourism governance. The study highlights the evolving nature of governance interactions and the increasing importance of local knowledge in global decision-making processes, offering valuable insights into the broader dynamics of tourism governance in the context of global power shifts.
Liu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.