western sichuan IS Tibet.....

Tourism isn't retail.

In retail you know what the client liked because you sold it, the store experience was secondary.
Tourism "is" the experience, the appeal of the whole. The trinkets purchased is an afterthought.

Shaxi (Sideng old town)is an example for many to study.

Sideng is on a solid + growth curve. It's attraction to tourist is a historic look and traditional/original laid back feel. This appeal won't change in the middle of their growth curve because they have a solid plan; unlike Lijiang which transformed itself out of it's appeal in the middle of their growth curve .
The future of Sideng.
The growth has to stop at one point with the eventual crowds and competition of the surrounding villages which are developing rapidly..

Sideng old town will eventually lose some of their tourists because tourists like to explore; but, it will stay ahead of other villages in the Shaxi valley because Sideng's reputation will remain positive. positive hearsay will create new customers.
The big picture..

It's all growth for the valley, it's all good. It creates a valley of villages which compliment each other, unlike Lijiang old town which has a bad reputation, now worsening the reputation with more fees...

I was amazed at the number of foreigners in Shaxi, so much so, during May holiday, my paraglide clients, which i brought to Shaxi met by coincidence their shanghai neighbours!! which are also foreigners....

@Alien.

"I'd suggest it does get customer acceptance," ...... "and the crap on sale is apparently acceptable."

Chinese will accept anything and endure anything, but, it doesn't mean they found value/fun in it, so they won't return.

I think the proof is in the surrounding villages, which tend to be a little more original and less crowded. A slower growing curve perhaps?? A positive trend which the village admin may or may not comprehend and learn from other's mistakes.

Tiger Tiger...spot on..
Companies have these 'assets' on the books often at optimistic values.

Optimistic values= hoping the positive curve continues.

People may think, 'Zombie property, so what?'

Never experiencing a long term down curve.

Tourists are Consumers; Consumers follow trends.

Trends can be represented on a graph; the positive curve, the peak, the down curve.

These curves (+or-) take years to establish, based on hearsay from repeat consumer feedback returning from a trip compared to retail which is an afternoon.

The Lijiang business community has been lagging far behind the actual curves.

The actual curve for Lijiang old town has been on the down curve for approx 5 years, parallel to the surrounding villages of Baisha, Shuhe which have been on the positive curve for the last 5 years.

A combination of inexperience, greed, lack of planning, complacency, and not knowing their consumer trend curve is imploding quickly on their gold mine.

It's not unique in China, nor the world.
Funny thing, we saw the peak 10 years ago but they never listen, as usual.