The People’s Republic of China has changed from a country which actively discouraged tourism into one of the major source markets for the international industry; the 35 million Chinese travelling across the border in 2005 are merely the tip of the iceberg.

China’s Outbound Tourism is the first book on this major development and has been written using a multitude of sources from China and around the world. The topic is approached from many angles, using methods from the fields of economics, political sciences, sociology and cross-cultural studies. The book explains the economic and social background of the surge in tourism and the changes in policy in the country since 1949, when it moved from prevention through controlled development to encouragement of outbound travels.

Throughout the book, facts and figures are given for the global development as well as in-depth information about China’s key destinations. The growing importance of tourists from China is however not just a question of quantity; the text explains the features which distinguish their travel motivations and behaviours from ‘western’ and Japanese tourists, and the consequences for product adaptation and marketing methods for destinations interested in attracting and satisfying Chinese tourists.

Arlt’s groundbreaking book cannot be ignored by professionals, academics and students of tourism and leisure; it offers fresh insight into the topic and indicates some of the future lines of development in this area.