Contested civilities: state media, cultural identity, and the transformation of Chinese tourist subjectivity in the pre-pandemic era

This study examines how Chinese state-controlled English-language media framed ‘problem tourists’ as a significant cultural and political issue during China’s unprecedented tourism expansion from 2005-2018. Through thematic framing analysis of 303 articles from China Daily and Global Times, this study reveals how media discourse positioned problem tourists as cultural threats requiring state intervention. The analysis identifies three dominant frames: the irrational tourist characterised by disruptive behaviours, the uncontrolled tourist driven by excessive desires, and the dependent tourist susceptible to exploitation. Rather than treating problematic conduct as typical of an expanding leisure class, media narratives construct problem tourists as culturally deficient subjects requiring transformation through regulatory measures and moral education. This cultural framing aligns with broader state objectives of creating model citizens who embody prescribed civilisational values both domestically and abroad. The study demonstrates how traditional cultural concepts become powerful governance tools when mediated through state discourse, creating behavioural templates that tourists must navigate as both cultural subjects and objects of state control. These findings contribute to understanding how tourism functions as both a driver of cultural change and a tool for cultural management, revealing the complex interplay between individual agency, traditional values, and state authority in shaping citizen conduct.