Domestic Tourism in Asia: Diversity and Divergence

Many countries have a rich tradition of domestic travel and holidaying that not only predates but exceeds mass international travel. This is particularly the case in Asia, where recent economic prosperity and trends in globalization have continued to shape traditions in domestic tourism. This book is the first to address specifically the continuities and changes in domestic tourism in Asia. It explores the ethos of domestic travel and holiday-making in order to understand the distinctive common strands that underlie conventional and contemporary tourism practices, against the local and global backdrop. A considerable range of countries is covered in the case studies, including those with patrimonial histories (namely China and India), the economically developed nation-state of Japan, the microstates of Taiwan, Singapore, Macao, and Hong Kong, the coastal countries of Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam, and the land-locked countries of Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. The book presents some of the many interfaces of Asian cultural and natural heritage with tourism, while giving due consideration to today's political and economic realities.