Culture as a Major Determinant in Tourism Development of China

Abstract

It is axiomatic that culture, however defined, will influence the way in which resources are utilised for tourism, whether those resources are built heritage, living heritage (ethnic minorities way of life, art forms, dance, music and so forth), natural heritage, or the ‘way of life’ of different population segments of countries. To a certain extent, this is because tourism, as the industry of difference, is fundamentally involved in image creation in order to differentiate one destination from another, and the trappings and values embedded in a nation's culture are pivotal in exhibiting difference. The enduring strength of Chinese culture is evident in its unbroken history of more than 5000 years, and this history needs to be approached from a Chinese perspective which is underpinned by Chinese values that find expression in contemporary tourism development all over China. The historical–cultural legacy is buttressed by its linguistic roots that have remained constant for millennia, and tourism development in China embraces these cultural phenomena to an extent matched by few other countries. As globalisation relentlessly encompasses country after country, particularly in terms of economics, communications, and transport systems, and many stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry aggressively pursue policies of standardisation of product regardless of the countries of location of their products, the strength of traditional cultural factors in China often ensures localisation rather than globalisation in terms of tourism development. There is thus a distinctive ‘Chinese tourist gaze’. This article examines just a few of the major elements of Chinese culture that act as determinants of contemporary tourism development in China.