The Rise of Tourism in China

In this seminal treatise Dr Li enlists his in-depth studies of mainland China, Hong Kong and Canada, and applies ethnographical methods to interpret the results from a humanistic perspective. He successfully steers the scholarly inquiry from the traditional deterministic towards the existential-phenomenological approach. The book skilfully lifts the value of qualitative case studies to the high-order theoretical plane and makes an original contribution to tourism knowledge. * C.Y. Jim, Education University of Hong Kong and University of Hong Kong * This book responds to the need to critically review what tourism has brought to China, a vast country with enchanting social and cultural diversity. Covering different forms of tourism and discussing key issues shaping the distinct path of tourism development in China, it provides a timely and comprehensive reflection on the rise of tourism in China. * Ming Ming Su, Renmin University of China * This significant book, through application of a welcome humanistic approach and pertinent case studies, extends understanding of the socioeconomic dimensions of tourism in China. It is of global relevance because it probes behind the impressive numbers that attest to this country’s status as a contemporary powerhouse in both domestic and international tourism. * Geoffrey Wall, University of Waterloo, Canada * The author theoretically and empirically analyzes how travel connects people and places through the interaction between tourist imagination and consumption of the actual process of travel, a central theme being how the tourism experience contributes to an understanding of modern China [...] The sheer number of references (over 7,000) and the extensive bibliography (26 pages) are remarkable in such a small book. * B. Osborne, Emeritus, Queen's University at Kingston, Canada, CHOICE connect, January 2024 Vol. 61 No. 5 *