Living on the edge

This study examines the role that tourism plays for residents of Tap Mun, an island off the northeast coast of Hong Kong which is in its last stages of decline. Once it was a vibrant fishing and farming community, but today its economy is reliant on tourism. The majority of enterprises provide only a marginal income and most workers are seasonal. Yet, this business provides the residents with the economic rationale to remain on the island, and in doing so, enables them to retain their existing social networks, sense of place, and connection to their ancestral homes. Thus, the net social benefits of pursuing subsistence-level tourism outweigh the limited economic gains.