Anthropology of tourism: practical and theoretical development in China

Abstract

This paper examines the origins, developments and new trends of anthropology of tourism in China through a comparison between China and the West. Chinese anthropologists have, since the end of the last century, begun to introduce Western academic achievements and tried to conduct domestic research. In the process of development into a big and great power in tourism, Chinese researchers have intensively absorbed new concepts and new theories from abroad, studied local cases in China’s context, and carry out China-West dialogues in various aspects. Anthropology of tourism in China has seen many breakthroughs in terms of topics, theories, disciplines and methods, contributing its own experiences and new theories to the development of anthropology of tourism worldwide.