China's Outbound Tourism during the 1980s - A Socio-Political Perspective

Through the introduction of the Open Door and Reform Policy in the late 1970s and the ensuing period of social upheaval and re-structuring during the 1980s, the China outbound travel phenomenon exhibited some distinctive characteristics which are not readily explainable using the established tourism theories. The literature has generally characterized international leisure travel as discretionary consumption prompted by motivators (e.g. reasons for travel), and facilitators (e.g. discretionary income and available leisure time). Drawing upon an examination of Guangdong residents and their attitudes to the travel phenomenon during the 1980s, this exploratory paper proposes a model of outbound tourism behaviour which explores the interrelationship between migration and tourism and incorporates the concept of socio-political change occurring in the source market.