Hospitality research in China : a review of publications in leading journals

This study aims to analyze and exhibit the transformation of China's hospitality research published from 1978 to 2012. Drawing on a systematic review of 80 related articles retrieved from three leading English language hospitality journals, a dramatic growth of China's hospitality research in the recent five years(2008-2012) was found. The growing diversifications of research foci, affiliated sectors, research approaches, data collection methods, and regional contribution are evident, whilst an increasing rigor of China's hospitality research is concluded. While regional contribution is mainly made by countries in the Asia Pacific region, more research collaborations across continents are suggested. Further work may retrieve articles from a wider range of journals, perform cross tabulation analyses, and incorporate additional analysis criteria. A more holistic overview of hospitality studies on China can then be drawn.School of Hotel and Tourism Managemen