Harmony rules in Chinese backpacker groups

Wenjie Cai, Scott A. Cohen and John Tribe

Annals of Tourism Research, 2019, vol. 75, issue C, 120-130

Abstract: Despite recognition that Chinese backpackers travel in small, self-organised groups, studies have yet to examine how group dynamics affect the travel experience. Multi-sited ethnography and netnography were deployed to follow Chinese backpackers in Europe to explore their group dynamics. The findings reveal that Chinese backpackers sustain hierarchical group relations by applying cultural attributes of ‘respect for authority’ and ‘keqi’. A conflict-free status is achieved by following the codes of ‘guanxi’ and ‘conformity’. Harmony is practiced to either develop harmonious relationships or resolve potential discord. This study contributes to the literature on harmony by synthesising relevant cultural attributes to understand their applications in group dynamic. It furthermore contributes to the literature on backpacker tourism and self-organised travel group dynamics.

Keywords: Harmony; Group dynamics; Chinese outbound backpackers; Discord; Mobile ethnography; Travel experience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:anture:v:75:y:2019:i:c:p:120-130

DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2018.12.010

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