History, development and politics of China’s outbound tourism

The growth of China’s outbound tourism market from virtually nothing to the biggest in the world in only 30 years is unique. Not only because of its rapid development but also because this development was propelled and is continuously affected by policymaking and regulation. In recognition of the interconnectedness of China’s outbound tourism and policymaking, this chapter provides an overview of the history, development and politics of China’s outbound tourism. We focus on specific policies and regulations that have shaped China’s outbound tourism including: how the ‘Travel Agency Act’ halted international competition and paved the way for OTAs like Ctrip; how the ‘Approved Destination Status Scheme’ allowed outbound tourism to function as a soft power tool and how the ‘Chinese Tourism Law’ propelled existing travel trends and enhanced the use of travel contracts. We end the chapter with a reflection on the past and future development of China’s outbound tourism.