{"title":"Naturalizing people, ethnicizing landscape: promoting tourism in China’s rural periphery","authors":"Anna Ka-yin Lee, R. Abrahams","doi":"10.1080/10225706.2018.1505646","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Tourism is often used in conjunction with the creation and consumption of knowledge to mold the ways in which people perceive, imagine and understand “other” places. This article examines how the imagery and framing of tourism promotion both utilizes and reciprocates constructions of China’s ethnic minority, rural places and peoples. Through an analysis of the promotional imagery of a rural and ethnic tourism resort, the discussion highlights how tourism representations mirror state discourses and ideologies in a manner that reflects the highly state-managed nature of the nation’s tourism economy. Utilizing a Foucauldian framework that conceptualizes the dissemination of power through the creation of knowledge and normalizing discourses, tourism is presented as a conduit through which the Chinese state is able to position and delimit spatial and ethnic groups. Thus, not only are tourism promotional materials understood as a key means through which to entice tourists, they become a nexus through which to understand China’s ethnic power imbalances. The examined promotional materials highlight the ways in which promotional imagery disseminates idealized narratives and imagery that locate minority groups spatially, and tie them socially and culturally.","PeriodicalId":44260,"journal":{"name":"Asian Geographer","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2018-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10225706.2018.1505646","citationCount":"12","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Asian Geographer","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10225706.2018.1505646","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GEOGRAPHY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 12
Abstract
ABSTRACT Tourism is often used in conjunction with the creation and consumption of knowledge to mold the ways in which people perceive, imagine and understand “other” places. This article examines how the imagery and framing of tourism promotion both utilizes and reciprocates constructions of China’s ethnic minority, rural places and peoples. Through an analysis of the promotional imagery of a rural and ethnic tourism resort, the discussion highlights how tourism representations mirror state discourses and ideologies in a manner that reflects the highly state-managed nature of the nation’s tourism economy. Utilizing a Foucauldian framework that conceptualizes the dissemination of power through the creation of knowledge and normalizing discourses, tourism is presented as a conduit through which the Chinese state is able to position and delimit spatial and ethnic groups. Thus, not only are tourism promotional materials understood as a key means through which to entice tourists, they become a nexus through which to understand China’s ethnic power imbalances. The examined promotional materials highlight the ways in which promotional imagery disseminates idealized narratives and imagery that locate minority groups spatially, and tie them socially and culturally.
期刊介绍:
Asian Geographer disseminates knowledge about geographical problems and issues focusing on Asia and the Pacific Rim. Papers dealing with other regions should have a linkage to Asia and the Pacific Rim. Original and timely articles dealing with any field of physical or human geographical inquiries and methodologies will be considered for publication. We welcome, for example, submissions on people-environment interactions, urban and regional development, transport and large infrastructure, migration, natural disasters and their management, environment and energy issues. While the focus of the journal is placed on original research articles, review papers as well as viewpoints and research notes under the category of “Asian Geography in Brief” are also considered. Review papers should critically and constructively analyse the current state of understanding on geographical and planning topics in Asia. The ‘Asian Geography in Brief’ section welcomes submissions of applied geographical and planning research about Asia. The section aims to showcase (1) the diverse geography and planning of Asia; and (2) the diverse geographical and planning research about Asia. The journal will also publish special issues on particular themes or areas. Book reviews can be included from time to time.