The Push-Pull-Resistance Model: Integrating Art Revitalization and Ecotourism in Hainan's Coastal Villages

Tingting Shi; Zhong Shu

doi:10.60027/iarj.2026.e294230

Authors

Tingting Shi Panyapiwat Institute of Management, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6933-6323
Zhong Shu Panyapiwat Institute of Management, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3856-1177

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e294230

Keywords:

Art-led Rural Revitalization, Ecotourism, Coastal Fishing Villages, Driving Mechanisms, Push-Pull-Resistance Theory, Integrated Development

Abstract

Background and Aims: Rural art-ecotourism integration has become a prominent development approach in China, yet existing frameworks inadequately explain why similar interventions produce divergent outcomes. This gap is especially evident in fragile coastal fishing villages where cultural preservation, ecological protection, and economic transformation generate complex tensions.

Methodology: This study employs theoretical modeling, synthesizing systems theory and push–pull–resistance frameworks. The model is developed through conceptual deduction, drawing illustratively on secondary analysis of policy and case literature from Hainan’s coastal context. By integrating systems theory and push-pull-resistance theory, a dialectical dynamic model is constructed, comprising the "Basic Dynamic Layer (Push/Pull) – Core Process Layer (Resistance) – Target System Layer (Dynamic Equilibrium)". This model focuses on analyzing the creative transformation mechanism of "resistance" during the integration process and, based on the model's internal logic, deduces different integrated development pathways.

Results: The study identifies three major dynamic systems driving integration: the "Push" system, centered on endogenous cultural force, policy impetus, and industrial transformation pressure; the "Pull" system, centered on market demand and the attraction of capital and talent; and the "Resistance" system, composed of four-dimensional tensions in culture, ecology, industry, and governance. Crucially, the research highlights that resistance functions as a form of creative tension, actively shaping differentiated pathways rather than serving merely as friction. Consequently, three differentiated pathways are deduced: (1) The Culture-Led Pathway, achieving value reconstruction through in-depth exploration and contemporary expression of local culture; (2) The Ecology-Priority Pathway, internalizing ecological constraints as design principles to develop low-interference experience economies; (3) The Governance-Innovation Pathway, resolving structural contradictions by constructing a networked governance structure involving multiple stakeholders.

Conclusion: The push–pull–resistance dialectical model demonstrates that outcomes depend on how tensions are transformed, not merely on the strength of push or pull forces. It offers both theoretical insight and practical guidance for achieving balanced cultural, ecological, economic, and governance outcomes. The model possesses not only theoretical explanatory power but also offers actionable pathway references for integrated cultural and tourism development practices in Hainan and similar regions. Future research could further test and refine this framework through cross-regional comparisons and longitudinal tracking.

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