Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt COTRI Experience Economy in different cultural frameworks: The example of Chinese outbound tourism Sunderland University CREE Centre for Research into the Experience Economy February 2010

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb Experience Economy - a tool to understand consumer behaviour only in a "western" cultural framework? Some facts about China’s Outbound Tourism Basic EE ideas work also for Chinese outbound tourists - but in a different way Different goals lead to different forms of experience seeking Experience Economy and China‘s Outbound Tourism

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb Experience Economy - a tool to understand consumer behaviour only in a "western" cultural framework? Experience Economy and China‘s Outbound Tourism

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Tourism theories have been rightly critisised as being based on “Western” ontology and epistemology only. Pine/Gilmore are using an “American” approach. Can it still be a useful tool to understand non-western behaviour pattern? CREE Feb. 2010

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Example “4E”: Levels of Absorption / Immersion and of Participation centered on behaviour of one person, even in group-based experiences. CREE Feb. 2010

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Globalisation and consumerism are worldwide phenomena, but with different cultural characteristics Nevertheless: No experience is artificial CREE Feb. 2010

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb Some facts about China’s Outbound Tourism Experience Economy and China‘s Outbound Tourism

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb Imperial China Domestic travel important part of education and nature apprehension 1983 VFR visits to Hong Kong / Macao, SE Asia 1990s Business and „Delegation“ tourism 1997 Official recognition of Leisure tourism ADS Approved Destination Status system 2004 ADS for most major destinations International tourism becomes „normal“ part of consumption of affluent members of society

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute China’s Outbound Tourism 2009: 47.5 million trips +3.5% CREE Feb. 2010

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Chinese outbound travels during three quinquennia in million border crossings (Source: CNTA, COTRI) a) projected increase according to State Council planning (Nov. 2009) b) projected increase if growth rate equals 05-09/00-04 CREE Feb. 2010

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Some behavioural and motivation differences: Recreation, Self-Actualisation, Liminal Experiences, Change Rinao (hot and noisy), group-actualisation, Status enhancement, Prestige Immersion, Action, Experience Confirmation, photo opportunity, Gaze Insider tip, Special, Authentic, Discovery Superlative, „typical“, prestigious, famous Ladies first, Food as fare, souvenirs Boss first, Food as social interaction, compulsory gifts

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb Different goals lead to different forms of experience seeking Experience Economy and China‘s Outbound Tourism

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Maslow and LEO (Tourism and Experience Management Cluster programme, Finland): Bringing Experience Economy into “western” analysis CREE Feb Maslow pyramidLEO (Finland) Experience Pyramid

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Expansion of personality Expansion of status within peer group / national status CREE Feb LEO Experience pyramidAsian pyramid (Ap 2006)

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb Basic EE ideas work also for Chinese outbound tourists - but in a different way Experience Economy and China‘s Outbound Tourism

Powered by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute CREE Feb But the different forms of motivation and behaviour have to be taken into account, resulting for instance in: less hypocrisy – staging does not need to be masked support of conspicuous consumption, status enhancement group-actualisation instead of self-actualisation The next step after “Experience Economy” – “customized experiences to guide individual change via transformations” (Pine) - is not (yet) a part of the current Chinese society mindframe. The basic ideas of Pine/Gilmore of mass customization and commodification work also for Chinese outbound tourists.

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