Abstract
After 1945 globalization and mass tourism were mutually reinforcing developments. A traditionally free travel space, Hong Kong was part and parcel of the globalization of tourism. Major international and regional airlines operated in and through Hong Kong; new hotels sprang up whilst the older ones expanded in size; and the city became the ’shopping paradise’ of the world. For Americans, whether businessmen, leisure travelers, or military personnel on rest and recreation, Hong Kong was one of the most desirable destinations in Asia, second only to Japan. Yet the globalization of American tourism was a highly politicized process. Due to its strategic location, Hong Kong became embroiled in the geopolitics of the Vietnam War and the political spillover of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In the mid-1960s, Beijing repeatedly protested against what it claimed was the US Navy’s use of Hong Kong as a “base of aggression” against North Vietnam. Meanwhile, in 1967 left-wing elements in Hong Kong carried out their own Cultural Revolution-style struggle against the authorities. Sandwiched between American demands for ’R & R’ facilities on the one hand, and the Chinese protests and local Maoist challenges on the other, the Hong Kong government had to deliberate on the future of American tourism.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
