How “Face” Matters: Chinese Corporate Tourists in Australia

ABSTRACT

Corporate travel is a growing segment within the Chinese tourism market, yet despite the widespread belief that cultural values influence behavior, little research has examined the touring experiences of Mainland Chinese corporate travelers. This study, based on participant observations of 12 corporate group package tours, suggests that the “face” concept underlies the touring experiences of Chinese corporate travelers. The travelers emphasized the need to pay appropriate respect to one’s superiors, maintain relationships through gift-giving, and participate in social networking to establish and maintain positive relationships. Implications for tourism scholars and planners are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• “Face” concept
• Chinese cultural values
• Chinese corporate tourists
• group tour packages

Acknowledgments

We wish to acknowledge Dr Gayle Jennings of Imagine Consulting Group International for her guidance during the development of this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anna Kwek

Anna Kwek, PhD, is a Lecturer in the Department of Tourism, Hotel and Sport Management, Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus), G24, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia (E‐mail: [email protected]).

Young-Sook Lee

Young-Sook Lee, PhD, is Head in the Department of Tourism & Northern Studies of Faculty of Finnmark, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Follumsvei 31, 9509 Alta, Norway (E‐mail: [email protected]).