Coping with precarity in the tourism performing arts industry: a case study of China’s Wa entertainers

Abstract

This article examines the precarious work experiences and coping tactics of entertainers in China’s tourism performing arts (TPAs), who are also tourism labour migrants (TLMs). Focusing on a particular ethnic group, Wa entertainers (WEs), this article aims to highlight how TLMs sustain their careers and fight for decent work. Qualitive methods were applied to investigate entertainers in a neglected sector of the tourism industry. The findings show that entertainers face two main aspects of precarity: labour relations and job attributes. Inspired by the precarious TPA work, WEs develop micro-tactics to resist, namely, they have suitable geographical mobility choices and actively participate in skilling and learning. Thus, WEs become more capacitated to switch smoothly between different jobs to sustain a broader career in tourism-oriented sectors. This article offers critical insights into the capability development of tourism practitioners. It reflects on a vernacular, grassroots redefinition of sustainability with respect to decent work, in which a stable or predictable career pathway may not be the ultimate purpose for grassroots TLMs.

Keywords:

• Precarity
• tactics
• creative work
• tourism labour migrant
• tourism performing arts
• China

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant [number 41920104002]. The authors thank Assistant Prof. Junxi Qian, Drs. A Rongna, Dixi Zhong, Jingfu Chen and other close colleagues for their helpful comments on the revision.Thanks is also to all the interviewees. The authors are grateful for the comments of anonymous reviewers and the editor who appreciably improved the article.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

National Science Foundation of China.