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Reading through this text is rather like reading adetective story. There are clues and patterns but they areoften not clear as the authors attempt to cram vastamounts of complex detail into small spaces. The reader isforced to read between the lines and highlight gems ofwisdom often hidden in common description. It is possibleto fit the bits and pieces from many pens into someenlightening and important points. Besides the commonthreads that run through many of the chapters, thedifferences in the evolution of the programs are alsointeresting. China, Korea, Israel with strong central controland government involvement contrasts with the lessmanaged approaches of Australia and Canada and theindustry lead approaches of Austria and Switzerland.Regardless of the starting point it is interesting to notethat the resulting programs seem very similar. The processinvolves the formalizing of skill training into the poly-technic or private hotel school with various overridingaccreditation systems. The Universities seem a littlemore peripheral in many cases and there is little referenceto their role in management training. Most likely, this is theresult of the relatively short history of many of theprograms.

The lack of a concluding chapter is unfortunate. Theeditor does summarize issues briefly in the preface but somuch more could have been done if an analytical finalchapter had been added. As a lazy reader, the reviewerwould have been much more satisfied if he had not had towork quite so hard to put the puzzle together and been ableto spend just a bit more time thinking about the issues andpossible solutions based on a good concluding chapter.

There is much material here to stimulate discussion and formore than a few follow-up academic papers and such achapter would have helped set the stage for this work.Many of the writers spend little time discussing outcomesof their countries programs, particularly those dealing withthe learner. The reader is left to wonder as to the success ofsome of the programs. Some chapters do, Horng and Leein their chapter on Taiwan provide a good example of theissues with their fledgling programs and how the systemwill change to meet a changing world.Regardless of these issues, the book will provide

encouragement and examples to help improve the instruc-tors’ and institutions approaches to the subject of tourism.The continued evolution in approaches discussed in thiswork will improve the learning of the central figure in alleducation, the learner. The book offers a fascinatingglimpse into the tourism and hospitality educationalsystem of a wide diversity of countries. It shows howeach country has developed its programs and is attemptingto improve the basic educational value of the system for thetourism industry. The development to ensure value to thestudent is less clear but is assumed in most chapters.Certainly, it provides the reader with a better under-standing of tourism education in the global village.

Keith DewarFaculty of Business, Hospitality and Tourism,

University of New Brunswick—Saint John, P.O. Box 5050,

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2L 4L5

E-mail address: kdewar@unbsj.ca

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.001

China’s Outbound Tourism, Wolfgang Georg Arlt. Routledge,

Abingdon (2006). xv+300pp., US$145, Hardback,

ISBN: 0-415-36536-8

Compared to other tourism source areas and destina-tions there is still a dearth of material on many aspects oftourism development in China—inbound, outbound anddomestic. There is, of course, a media storm of interest inChina’s economic progress and major tourism journals areresponding to the perceived importance of China in theworldwide tourism system. But it is difficult to stitchtogether the overall narrative of events, among theconstant helter-skelter of change, since the visits by USPresident Nixon and other dignitaries in the 1970s throughto membership of the World Trade Organisation in 2001,the winning of the Beijing Olympics for 2008 and, asregards outbound tourism, the progressively rapid widen-ing of approved destination status (ADS)—from tentativebeginnings in Hong Kong and Macao (1983) throughAustralia and New Zealand (1999), most of the EuropeanCommunity (2004) and the UK (2005).

Arlt outlines three reasons why in China outboundtourists ‘are so under-researched and remain a largelyunknown entity’ (p. 82). First, there is not a consumption-orientated view of the source market and consumers;second, the market beyond Asia is very new; and, third, asan example of the very political nature of tourism in China,‘outbound as well as domestic tourism has long beenignored or hushed up, so that all but superficial research issparse and furthermore handicapped by strong ideologicalimages’ (p. 82). This calls for a text that both drawstogether existing knowledge and offers an authoritativecommentary. China’s Outbound Tourism manages toachieve this and is a considerable addition to the field.With some very distinctive views it is a recommended readboth for new and old China watchers.Arlt is well placed to write such a timely review. He was a

practitioner for many years, engaged with outboundtourists from China to Europe, and is now both a visitingprofessor in China and a professor of leisure and tourismeconomy in Germany. Unusually, his writing and thoughtsoffer a melange from both traditions—neither overly

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academic and theoretical nor overly practical and lackingin wider generalisation. He is, too, both an insider and anoutsider, close enough to have a detailed knowledge ofChinese culture but distant enough to see it apart andcompare it with other traditions.

As a rule, Arlt tends to dismantle or at least seriouslyquestion accepted mantras on Chinese tourism although inChapter 1, Framework of China’s outbound tourism, he doesnot overly quibble with the potential growth of theoutbound market:

Seen in absolute numbersy China’s outbound tourismis of growing importance for almost anybody earninghis or her livelihood directly or indirectly fromtourismy.

However, in Chapter 2, Economic and social development

of the People’s Republic of China, he puts the figures in toperspective:

Only about 50 million or 4 per cent of the currentChinese population has travelled outside China, if thequasi-domestic tourism to Hong Kong and Macao isnot counted. Half of all these travels happened in theyears 2003–2005.

He gives reasoned warning, too, of three problems thatcould derail the seemingly inexorable growth of theeconomy and modernization—a large and growing incomegap; pollution of air, soil and water; and an absence ofprogress towards a democratic system. To these might beadded economic overheating, resource depletion andfurther political change and retrenchment. All may notbe set fair.

Indeed, political turbulence in the recent past is detailedin Chapter 3, Government policies and the development of

demand in Chinese tourism that highlights the key role ofpolitics through time in both the suppression and growthof outbound tourism from China. Whilst Arlt points outthat ‘until recently all long distance movements even withinthe country needed reasons and permissions’ (p. 22), hesuggests that VFR outbound tourism thrived between thefall of Imperial China in 1911 and the rise of the People’sRepublic in 1949. Beyond the Maoist period, Arlt chartsthe progressive setting and breaking of political rules onoutbound travel. After 1983, it was encouraged (as part ofChinese strategic foreign and economic policy) to destina-tions such as Hong Kong, Macao and countries in Asiawith strong ethnic ties to China—home to 50 millionoverseas Chinese. Later, post 1995, in the face of newrealities (and the de facto, underground development ofprivate, non-sponsored, outbound tourism) this encour-agement extended to the wider range of countries withADS. So wide, indeed, that Arlt predicts the demise of theADS system since ‘almost all important destinations (are)covered’ (p. 42). So, the old Chinese proverb ‘He whotravels far knows much ‘ (Zhang, 1997, quoted p. 25) seemsespecially apt at the present time—the opportunity totravel now rests largely on market economics.

From an analytical point of view Chapter 4, Quantitative

development of China’s outbound tourism is the leastinteresting chapter. It reviews the sometimes dubiousstatistics on visitor flows and expenditures for inbound,outbound and domestic tourism—otherwise available byclicking on the China National Tourism Administration(CNTA) web page. As such, it completes the contextualpicture and so allows Chapter 5, Chinese Travellers, tomove toward the heart of the book. Arlt first observesthat ‘the domestic or the outbound tourist does not exist’(p. 82)—China is a large country with a highly diversepopulation. Then an informative and relevant digression(pp. 83–92) considers some characteristics of the domestictourist. The rise of domestic tourism, seen as wasteful,bourgeois and dangerous under Mao, has required morethan increased tourist time and money. It has also needed achange away from frugality to consumerism or at least, asin the case of ‘Red tourism’, consumerism with Chinesecharacteristics; and the freedom for domestic tourists to seehistorical heritage and landscapes ‘with their own eyes andrelate to what they are proud of as part of their nationalyidentity’ (p. 91). Turning specifically to outbound touristsArlt opens with the blunt statement (p. 92) that the ‘basicanswer to questions about the characteristics and motiva-tions of Chinese outbound travellers can only be: nobodyknows.’ Nevertheless, pointing out the Chinese penchantfor group travel and city tourism, explaining that theChinese word for a fun atmosphere is ‘renao’ (meaning hotand noisy) and mentioning that the majority of outboundtravellers are likely to be beneficiaries of the economic andpolitical situation and securely grounded in their ownculture, he quickly and confidently argues that the travelmotivations of Mainland Chinese are more ‘pull’ than‘push’. Regarding behaviour, Arlt convincingly appliesHofstede (2003)—whilst making the reader aware ‘that anystatement on the Chinese culture or behaviour is ofnecessity a gross simplification’ (p. 103). In four ofHofstede’s five cultural dimensions, China has an extremeposition compared to three chosen comparators—USA,Switzerland and Japan—with pronounced power distance,low uncertainty avoidance/high collectivism, low individual-ism and high long-term orientation and Arlt works througheach of these characteristics as regards the outbound tourist.Although he mentions that a full discussion of the influenceof Chinese culture on the behaviour of outbound touristswould require another book, Arlt also pays particularattention to the special role of the Chinese language. Withreference to MacCannell (1999) and his work on semiotics(tourism as a consumption of signs) and Dann (1996) and hiswork on the language of tourism he outlines the power of theChinese written character. ‘Chinese characters (stand) for thething or concept they depict (and) in a way are the thing orconcepty Every Chinese building, institution, temple halland museum, etc. must have a name plate written by afamous artist or ruler in remarkable calligraphyy Land-scapes based on Chinese characters (are) part of the attractionitselfy’ (pp. 107–108). Here incidentally, Arlt is quick to

ARTICLE IN PRESSBook reviews / Tourism Management 29 (2008) 821–830826

temper the dose of theory with a practical reminder of whylanguage is so important and different in the Chinese contextcompared to, say, European languages in their context:

(The) differences are not just a rather esoteric field ofdiscussion for the followers of Saussure, Lacan orBaudrillard, but constitute the basic mindset of theChinese civilisation and therefore also influence thebehaviour of Chinese outbound tourists (p. 107).

Chapter 6, Destinations of Chinese outbound tourism,finds Arlt operating in a real comfort zone. He provides thedetails, the anecdotes, the issues and the story to sweep thereader through the outbound tourist experience of Chinesetourists in many specific countries in Asia (border tourismdestinations such as the Russian Far East; Hong Kong andMacao, pioneer VFR countries such as Thailand) Aus-tralia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.

Chapter 7, Product adaptation and marketing of tourism

destinations and products is a natural follow-up to thepreceding chapters. Destination managers in Europe andNorth America could usefully think through the summarytable of what Chinese visitors want and what they get(p. 201) and carefully consider Arlt’s simple but keyobservation and argument that ‘Chinese tourists abroadsee themselves as Chinese tourists’ (p. 200). So, forexample, ‘Providing Chinese language written informationand signage is not only helpful to the individual Chinesetraveller, but shows respect to all Chinese and China ingeneral by acknowledging its importance in the world.’(p. 202). The need, too, to stress the role of thematisedviews and stories, real and imagined, in an interpretationof, say, landscape also highlights the importance ofChineseness—and strongly contrasts with western ideasof nature. Chapter 8, Consequences of China’s outbound

tourism development for tourism studies follows up on thecultural pitfalls that await the academic as well as thepractitioner. It concentrates on the western orientation oftourism research and takes several established academics totask for their misreading of tourism situations involvingoutbound Chinese tourists. Worse, the Chinese case isoften disregarded—as in Reisinger and Turner (2003).

The final chapter, The future of China’s outbound tourism

presents the argument for viewing 2005 as a new phase of

China’s modern outbound tourism—the increase of out-bound travel stayed within single digits and the touristsbecame more selective; ‘unabashed enthusiasm’ (p. 220) forChinese outbound tourism gave way to some concerns andirritations as in Australia; and the Chinese governmentoffered a more positive view on outbound tourism, whilstalso attempting some initiatives to regulate both theadministrative behaviour of tour operators and the generalbehaviour of tourists. The chapter also generalises onfuture travel motivations—shopping, gambling and ‘affir-mation of national pride’ (p. 223) overlaid by enhancementof status within the group; the forms of travel—mainlygroup, even without the ADS system but also some growthin individual travel; and, finally, the hot location—NorthAmerica.On occasion, there are paragraphs that need some

further editing and sometimes Arlt skims through atheoretical area that could be left aside (as on p. 218 withjust one paragraph covering mobility). But, China’s Out-

bound Tourism is well worth a very close read. It is rare tofind a tourism book that you cannot put down. But even ifyou take a rest from this book it draws you back quickly.It is full of detail, linked to theory, based in practical realityand, of course, highly relevant. It will surely become amarker for future study.

References

Dann, G. M. S. (1996). The language of tourism. A sociolinguistic

perspective. Wallingford: CABI.

Hofstede, G. (2003). Culture’s consequences. comparing values, behaviors,

institutions and organisations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks:

Sage.

MacCannell, D. (1999). The tourist. A new theory of the leisure class.

Berkeley: University of California Press.

Reisinger, Y., & Turner, L. W. (2003). Cross cultural behaviour in tourism,

concepts and analysis. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Zhang, W. (1997). China’s domestic tourism: Impetus, development and

trends. Tourism Management, 18(8), 565–571.

David BowenBusiness School, Department of Hospitality, Leisure and

Tourism Management, Oxford Brookes University, Gypsy

Lane Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP England, UK

E-mail address: dbowen@brookes.ac.uk

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.004

Adventure tourism, R. Buckley (Ed.). CABI, Wallingford,

Oxfordshire OX10 8DE CABI (2007). pp. xix+515 (pbk),

ISBN: 1-84593-122-X

This is a very interesting, lucid and comprehensive bookfocussing on the actual commercial products offered by

adventure tourism operators as experienced by the author(Authors actually, since there are six contributing authorsin addition to Ralf Buckley as both the editor and themajor contributor). This makes for a very personal accountof many of the ‘adventures’ described; an approach thatadds some measure of weight and authenticity to anarrative dominated by brief descriptions of commercial