Chinese tourists at the University of Sydney: constraints to co-creating campus tourism?

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this century, a distinctive campus tourism has emerged. Campus tourism has thrived in China and outbound tourism from China has fostered the growth of this form of niche tourism elsewhere. In Australia, the University of Sydney attracts many visitors, with organized tour groups and independent tourists mainly coming from China. A distinctive ‘experiencescape’ combines evolving physical and cultural factors: heritage architecture, mythology, open space and educational status, experienced in multiple ways and combinations. Social media have shaped both the diversity of visiting and perceptions of the site. This incidental and experiential complexity is both of benefit and a challenge to campus tourism. This niche tourism experience has evolved without either marketing or deliberate co-creation, involving the university, with tourists creating both context and experience. Such circumstances challenge the otherwise seemingly ubiquitous notion of co-creation.