Chinese Outbound Tourism

Maxime Dejean holds a doctorate in geography, and is a teacher-researcher at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France. He is also cofounder of the Chinese-French tour operator Petit Prince Voyages.Marine L'Hostis holds a doctorate in geography and is a teacher-researcher at Excelia Business School, France.Meng Li holds a doctorate in geography and is a teacher-researcher at Nanning Normal University, China.

• Introduction ixPart 1. Departure Management: New Forms of Constraints 1Introduction to Part 1 3Chapter 1. Tour Operators, a Quasi-Imposed Intermediary 51.1. The Chinese tourism system: a tool for controlled emancipation 61.1.1. Destination control 71.1.2. Narrative control 91.1.3. Controlling intermediaries 121.2. Building a state of laws and regulating international travel 141.2.1. PRC travel agency regulations or how to restrict right of entry into the sector 151.2.2. The tourism law or how to combine the maintenance of social order with the economic development of the sector 181.3. Restricted sector, regulated activity… in theory 221.3.1. Bypassing the outbound agency license 241.3.2. The use of nominees: a win-win collaboration between official and unofficial tour operators 30Chapter 2. Room for Maneuver: The Example of Wuhan 372.1. From oligopoly to market saturation 422.1.1. Phase 1: creation of the Wuhan market (1990-2005) 422.1.2. Phase 2: market-led consolidation enabled by reforms (2006-2014) 472.2. Recent years in the tour operator market in Wuhan: a revival built on the remains of a bygone era 532.2.1. Social mutations at the root of change 532.2.2. The need for tour operators to adapt 562.2.3. The weight of the past: the great historic brands struggling to standardize 612.2.4. Signs of market renewal: new brands for new needs 68Conclusion to Part 1 79Part 2. Thailand, a Popular Nearby Destination - In the Midst of an Adaptation Process 81Introduction to Part 2 83Chapter 3. The New Faces of Hospitality 853.1. Southeast Asia: the main destination for Chinese tourists 853.2. A singular case: Thailand, the number one destination for Chinese tourists 903.2.1. The construction of an exotic image of tourism in Thailand by the West… 913.2.2. Before the domination of Chinese tourism 953.3. A series of increasingly visible adaptations 993.3.1. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport 1003.3.2. Bangkok's Grand Palace 1013.3.3. Shopping hotspots: malls and Kingpower duty free 1023.3.4. Pattaya Bay and surrounding islands 1043.3.5. The port and islands around Pattaya 105Chapter 4. The Case of Phuket: A Space for Chinese Tourists 1094.1. The creation of spaces dedicated to this new clientele 1104.1.1. Phuket, an island of Western imagination 1104.1.2. Different tourism rationales for different locations on Phuket Island 1124.1.3. The emergence of districts intended for Chinese tourists 1274.2. A new hierarchy of players to organize Chinese tourism 1364.2.1. The Chinese diaspora: a key player in the early days of tourism 1374.2.2. Large-scale entrepreneurs from China playing a growing role 1384.2.3. The arrival of smaller Chinese entrepreneurs 1444.2.4. Initiatives and difficulties encountered by non-Chinese players 148Conclusion to Part 2 155Part 3. France, an Exotic Destination 157Introduction to Part 3 159Chapter 5. A Market on the Road to Empowerment 1635.1. A social diffusion structured by a generational gap 1645.1.1. Learning about otherness: reverse transmission 1645.1.2. Introduction to tourism: a way to strengthen ties between generations? 1685.2. Tourism learning strategies and instances 1705.2.1. A gradual, guided expansion of horizons of otherness 1705.2.2. Family, school and work: the main instigators of tourist mobility 1745.2.3. Learning from tourism 1805.3. Conclusion 185Chapter 6. French Otherness According to Chinese Tourists 1876.1. French exoticism: a distant horizon of otherness and an inversion of the tourist gaze 1886.1.1. France, a romantic and hedonistic destination 1886.1.2. Disorientation, discomfort, feelings of insecurity… Chinese tourists putting French otherness to the test 1946.2. France, a destination for discovery 1986.2.1. In Paris, discovering cultural heritage and shopping 2006.2.2. Chinese tourists in search of autonomy and immersive experiences 2036.3. Conclusion 208Chapter 7. The Spread of Chinese Tourism in France 2117.1. Spatial rationales of Chinese tourists in France: the influence of distance and the role of repeaters 2117.1.1. The unequal influence of distance according to tourists' country of residence 2117.1.2. The influential role of repeaters and networks of locations differentiated by tourist type 2147.2. The road trip, a popular mode of travel for Chinese tourists in Provence 2237.3. Conclusion 227Conclusion to Part 3 229Conclusion 231References 237Index 249