This article examines the role of tourism in stabilizing and consolidating China's southwest border regions. It argues that tourism must be integrated into border residents' livelihoods, culture, and governance to achieve lasting prosperity through economic retention, cultural education, and identity building.
Based on a National Social Science Fund project, this article explores the internal logic and practical paths of border tourism in stabilizing borders in Southwest China. The research indicates that tourism flows must enter the livelihood, culture, and governance systems of border residents to become a force for stabilizing border populations. It proposes three mechanisms: retaining people through economy, educating through culture, and uniting through identity. Recommendations include incorporating population stability into tourism development goals and improving benefit-sharing mechanisms. Cases include the China-Vietnam Detian-Ban Gioc Waterfall cooperation area and Yunnan Tengchong's Si…