Auditing Planning-to-Ground Conditions for Sustainable Urban Tourism: Evidence from Xiamen, China

Source abstract

This study develops a multi-source site–time audit linking planning commitments, on-site delivery, and visitor use. The primary application was in Xiamen, China; the protocol was also used at five preselected sites in Songdo, South Korea. Five overlapping lenses—Catch, Carry, Linger, Anchor, and Reason—organize visitor-reported evidence alongside planning and field audits. The Xiamen survey included 494 eligible non-local respondents; primary profiles covered 31 sites, of which five were purposively selected for integrated audits. Cited provisions were partially fulfilled at four sites; the Visitor Center and South Gate deliverables at Xiamen University were fulfilled. Even where deliverables were present, entry recognition, route continuity, opening-hour information, local interpretation, and admission rules limited use. Three within-visitor, within-site lens pairs were positively associated; an exploratory first-site continuation proxy was not significant. The audit distinguishes fulfillment of cited provisions from point-of-use usability and translates observed constraints into site-specific implementation conditions and verification questions. It assesses planning implementation rather than direct sustainability outcomes.