The Influence of Political Ideology on the Outbound Tourism in China

Outbound tourism in China began to flourish in the late 1990s, albeit in a very modest manner. Since 1949, the role played by the Chinese socialist ideology in tourism development has not been fully understood. However, on the heels of ideological change resulting from economic reform and formulation of the open policy, Chinese outbound tourism has transitioned from being a nonpriority industry before the turn of the century into one that continues to generate supportive development. This study, which adopts the chronological framework approach, aims to examine how political ideology is intertwined with Chinese outbound tourism development. Ideology appears to assume a significant role in shaping outbound tourism development, though its weighting may not finally determine such development in China. The relationship between political ideology and outbound tourism development becomes less obvious when the latter moves further to a more open and relaxed condition, with external and internal factors playing a more significant role.