A Colourful Future?

The chapter summarises the key trends and themes of the book, from mass tourism to the rapid evolution of a new cultural and geographical scene directed by social media and centred both on individualism, but also on marked places and new itineraries. These trends are linked back to discordance with the wider literature on tourism which takes little account of these distinctively Chinese cultural themes, and why this has been the case. Through developing an understanding of the recent history, context and impact of Chinese tourism, we draw out how relationships between two countries can be perceived through tourism, bleakly so in the years of COVID-19. President Xi’s vision and invocation of the Chinese Dream in 2013, where young people should dream, think and work to revitalise the Chinese nation, motivated policies and external orientation in areas such as education and tourism. In the post-COVID era the geopolitics of tourism are apparent in Australia being yet to receive Approved Destination Status for the revival of group tourism. Independent millennials have returned as individuals, following their hearts and dreams. In a rapidly changing world, understanding recent and contemporary Chinese tourism offers a foundation for future actions in a changed geopolitical and post-Covid-19 pandemic world.