Perceived tourism implicit conflict among community residents and its spatial variation

Abstract This study explores tourism implicit conflict and its spatial dynamics in rural China. It proposes that residents in different spatial structures within tourism communities perceive implicit conflicts differently. Data were collected through public participatory geographic information system (PPGIS) mapping and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that conflict perceptions vary by residential structures. Residents in core and peripheral areas experienced heightened economic and cultural conflicts. In contrast, those in expanded areas were more concerned with issues of tourism governance. The study also highlights two key spatial aspects of perceived conflict: internality, the overlap within their residential areas, and significant externality, which spreads across the entire ancient town. From a combined spatial and psychological perspective, this study proposes the concept of spatial relative deprivation to explain resident’s perceived tourism implicit conflict. This study affirms that qualitative-spatial analysis sheds light on socio-cultural phenomena, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the underlying conflict mechanisms in a spatially explicit manner. The findings suggest that tourism planning should consider the intrinsic and micro-values of communities.