Security or sovereignty: the dynamic impact of political crises on Chinese tourism

This research delves into the examination of the impact of political crisis events between nations on Chinese outbound tourism. By utilizing the synthetic control method, the study examines the effects of three significant disputes – the THAAD, Diaoyu, and Huangyan dispute – on the number of Chinese tourists visiting countries that are involved in the disputes. The paper compares the impact of various types of political events and finds that disputes centred around national security have a more pronounced, lasting impact compared to territorial disputes. To mitigate the effects of political crisis events, governments of the concerned countries should proactively prepare when mediating disputes with China.