Sovereign practices of maritime border space based on tourism encounter perspective:A case study of the Xisha Islands
Given the increasing interconnection between tourism and political geography,the South China Sea has emerged as a crucial arena for neighboring countries to project their geopolitical influence through tourism activities.Therefore,it is of immense practical,theoretical,and policy significance to investigate maritime border tourism as the encounter process of daily political practices.This study employed tourism encounter as a theoretical framework,and used field investigation,in-depth interviews,and text analysis to delve into the intricate dynamics at play.Specifically,it explored how the macro-power infiltration,propelled by government agencies,resonates with the micro-level participation of individuals in Xisha tourism.It also investigated how the sovereign practices are realized within the border space,shedding light on the production of space-power relations in marine border tourism.The findings highlight that in Xisha tourism,the state exercises political logic to guide the design of the spatial system,effectively communicating geopolitical discourse to tourists.This is accomplished through the dual strategies of human-human interaction encounters and human-landscape perceptual encounters,which incorporate social and cultural elements into tourism activities.Drawing upon pre-existing border geographic imaginations associated with Xisha sentiments,physical participation,interaction,and perception during tourism,and the continuation of emotions post tourism,tourists construct a collective sense of psychological ownership tied to the idea of"sovereignty belongs to us"and a reimagined border concept.This grassroots approach facilitates the bottom-up promotion of the sovereign practices of Xisha.The study contributes to a deeper understanding of"tourist encounter","sovereign practices",and other related concepts in the study of tourism geopolitics.Moreover,it offers diverse perspectives for the study of the South China Sea issue,providing valuable insights into this multifaceted matter.
maritime border tourismtourism encountersovereign practicesXisha IslandsSouth China Sea
万方数据
