Abstract

This book offers an in-depth understanding of tourism development and destination planning in China's transitional economy. It is a unique collaboration between editors and contributors to present issues in current Chinese tourism research to Western colleagues. The influences informing the book range from pragmatic concerns about destination planning in China, to senses of injustice about how that planning generates unequal distributions of revenue via concerns about needs for new conceptual approaches. The book also examines the changing nature of Chinese society and its political system, and commentary on the changing role of the Chinese State in tourism planning. It will be a valuable resource for postgraduate students and tourism researchers as well as for tourism industry professionals who want to understand China as a domestic, outbound and inbound tourism market.

The collection of papers provides insights on many aspects of tourism in China. Particularly, it addresses an unequal distribution of tourism revenue and the effects of growing secularism and commercialism in recent years. A major strength of the book is the introduction of Chinese scholarship to an international audience. The book is an important source for those wishing to understand the current tourism state of tourism in China. It will undoubtedly make its mark in the growing literature on tourism in China and is a useful source for academics, professionals, and students interested in gaining a critical understanding of tourism.

The book, Tourism in China, advances knowledge of tourism development issues, concerns, successes and failures. It is a must read for all who seek to enrich their understanding of tourism development not only in China but also in a general sense. The content in each chapter is compelling and provides newperspectives forWestern researchers.

Tourism in China: Destinations, Planning and Experiences is a timely and valuable addition to the understanding of all kinds of destinations in China, with studies focusing on China as a major destination to specific places like Lijiang, Yunnan and Qinhunshan, Anhui as regional destinations. The uniqueness of this excellent book is that it was contributed to by researchers who know both the nature of tourism development in China and the rest of the world. Their insights in tourism destination development and planning will be valuable to both researchers and practitioners.

In only a quarter of a century, China has changed from being a place with almost no modern tourism to become a major player in international tourism with a massive domestic tourism sector. This collection of papers provides insights, predominantly from the perspective of Chinese scholars, on many aspects of tourism in China. It is an indispensable source of informed interpretations of the achievements and challenges of Chinese tourism. It introduces Chinese scholarship to an international audience and is important reading for those wishing to understand tourism in China, especially the relationships between tourism and development, in this rapidly-changing global power.

Chris Ryan is Professor in Tourism at the University of Waikato and edits the journals Tourism Management and Tourism Management Perspectives. His main research interests are the impacts of tourism, research methods in tourism, tourism management and the environment and tourist behaviour and motives.

Songshan (Sam) Huang is Associate Professor at the University of South Australia, Australia. He has been working in the field for over ten years and his research specialties are tourist behaviour, destination marketing, tour guiding and China tourism and hospitality.