Aesthetics

Psychoanalysis

Engineering

Symbolic interactionism

Philosophy

Sociology

Nexus (standard)

Embedded system

Grounded theory

Psychology

Political science

Interactionism

Tourism

Qualitative research

China

Pedagogy

The Symbolic

Identity (music)

National identity

Social science

Experiential learning

Politics

Annals of Tourism Research

Drawing on symbolic interactionism, this paper explores the nexus between tourism and national identity in China. Unlike current research's focus on the role of inbound heritage tourism sites in fostering national identity, this study uses symbolic interactionism to frame an analysis of how Chinese national identity is expressed and affirmed as a phenomenon of experiential consumption through the act of international outbound tourism. A multi-method approach guided the data collection from 28 Chinese tourists in two groups. Data analysis follows a constructivist grounded theory approach that is expressly suited to symbolic interactionism. The findings revealed that international tourism offers a platform on which to affirm and express Chinese national identity through the symbolic interaction between Chinese tourists and the world outside of China.

The symbolism of international tourism in national identity