Research on China’s Inbound Tourism: A Comparative Review

This study explores the current status of research on inbound tourism to China, which ranks third globally among tourist receiving countries. The importance of inbound tourism as an indicator of national tourism competitiveness and the current slow growth of inbound tourism in China make this review timely. A bibliometric approach is used. Articles published with CSSCI (Chinese Social Science Indexed) journals and international studies published in English-language journals were identified. Analysis of over 700 domestic articles about inbound tourism indicates that the studies concentrate on macro issues, in particular the spatial and temporal distribution of the inbound tourists and their economic impacts. Few studies on Chinese inbound tourism have been published in English language journals. The most popular theme is tourists’ behaviors. A comparison between publications in two languages is made and implications are offered in the context of the Chinese government’s policies on inbound tourism and the current status of research.