Chinese outbound tourism: between state control and autonomous individual travel. The case of honeymoons in France
Since 2013, China has been the leading source of outbound international tourism, both in terms of revenue and visitor numbers. Fully aware of the importance of this market in a sector that represents almost 10% of global GDP, the Chinese authorities are looking to exploit these outbound flows to inc...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Association Via@
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Via@ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/viatourism/10398 |
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| Summary: | Since 2013, China has been the leading source of outbound international tourism, both in terms of revenue and visitor numbers. Fully aware of the importance of this market in a sector that represents almost 10% of global GDP, the Chinese authorities are looking to exploit these outbound flows to increase China’s sphere of influence. This strategy may work with developing countries – who are often islands and/or yet to develop their own tourism image – however, major international tourism destinations seem to be less receptive to this form of instrumentalization. In France, for example, there is evidence that the practices of Chinese tourists are becoming more individualized with visitors increasingly looking for immersive and personalized experiences. The present article sets out to shed some light on this paradox: how can we explain the growing autonomy of Chinese tourists when the Party-State has always sought to control China’s outbound flows? We will focus on the case of honeymoons in France and show that Chinese tourists still have some room for manoeuvre because of the representations that existed before the Party-constructed narratives, and of the learning processes they undergo as a result of their travels. |
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| ISSN: | 2259-924X |