The Role of Tourism Companies in Forming Ethical Tourists: Case Studies of Tourists from China to Japan

The increase in Chinese tourists overseas and its socio-cultural and economical influence are of interest worldwide as well as in Japan. While many agents in the tourism industry actively invite Chinese tourists, the conditions of tourism between China and Japan are unstable, especially under the influence of political the relationship between the two countries. Further, media outfits tend to create a negative image of Chinese tourists.

  This article focuses on the social and cultural interaction of tourists from China to Japan, particularly, the role of tourism companies. Previous works criticized the role of tourism companies in creating media images and promoting unsustainable mass tourism. The industry also needs to pay attention to sustainability and establish alternative forms of tourism, such as ecotourism, which is a trend in recent years. This study will examine the daily everyday practices of tourism companies from the viewpoint of their role in forming ethical tourists, but not limited to their practices of producing alternative forms of tourism.  

  Two case studies are examined. First is the case in which tourism companies teach their clients tourist ethics. In China, the government has recognized the importance of “tourist civilization,” and in relation to this, I present a practice of “moral education” in tourism companies. I point out how they teach social and cultural order effectively in accordance with appropriate practices in Japan. The second case involves visits for inspection or training, which is a dimension of social tourism. In China, mobility for tourism is relatively strictly restricted, and consequently, many people with experiences of touring abroad support the inspection or training of visits under business visas, which tends to include sightseeing. I point out a type of development of social tourism that is not an alternative form of mass tourism.