Tourism development in China: its nature,the changing market and business opportunities

Abstract

Rapid growth has occurred in tourism in China since 1978. Although 1989 resulted in a large reduction in the number of external visitors to China, resumed growth since then has established new records for levels of tourism. In addition, a new attitude to the development of domestic tourism emerged in 1992. China has decided to increase the relative size of its tertiary sector by the year 2000 and is to encourage the development of domestic tourism. Tourism is now being treated as a leading industry and particular care will be needed to avoid economic mistakes. On the whole, the development of tourism has not counteracted uneven regional development in China but has reinforced it. A study of tourism development in Xishuangbanna Prefecture suggests that even at this local level, tourism development tends to be relatively centralised. China's changing tourism industry is providing new market opportunities for foreign firms.

Keywords

tourism development,China economic decentralisation,regional inequality ecotourism,tourism planning tourism markets,joint ventures foreign investment

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References

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See ref. 3 above, p. 123 and in same ref. the technical notes, pp. 139-140. (10) See ref. 4 above, table 16.8, p. 333.

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See ref. 4 above, table 16.7.

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See ref. 3 above, p. 22.

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Ibid, p. 23.

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The Gini coefficient can vary between zero and unity. The degree of inequality indicated is higher the higher is this coefficient. For more information see Pearce, D. W. (ed.) (1992) 'The Macmillan Dictionary of Modern Economics' , 4th edn., Macmillan, London.

28.

For details of these estimates see Wen, J. and Tisdell, C.A. (1996) 'Regional Inequality and Decentralisation of China's Tourism Industry ', Proceedings of Australian Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference 1996, Australian Tourism Bureau, Canberra, in press.

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Personal communication, Director of the Tourism Development Bureau of Xishuangbanna, October 1994.

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Ibid.

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Ibid.

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Ibid.

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Ibid.