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Tourism has always been a way of propaganda. Look into what are sold as the most attractive places to visit in a country. See that those places always sell a n

Tourism has always been a way of propaganda. Look into what are sold as the most attractive places to visit in a country. See that those places always sell a narrative as to why they're important for the country and unique in the world. The US tourism industry basically sells NYC, Disney, Las Vegas and LA. NYC's best-known landmark? The Statue of Liberty, selling a narrative of a country of industrious immigrants. Disney? It's basically 50% of children's cultural consumption all around the world. Las Vegas, LA? Consumption and media. For the record, the CIA used to sponsor a lot of artists and musicians around the world in the 70s as a way of promoting art the idea of the US a place of cultural and technological refinement, much in the same way that the soviets pretty much gave away math and engineering university books of the highest caliber. What does the Chinese cultural industry sell? The Wall of China, properties associated with imperial dynasties, and more recently industry fairs.

gherkinnn 5y ago
The US has few historical monuments. But it has national parks. There’s also only one Grand Canyon and only so many Death Valleys.
- thehappypm 5y ago
  I'd argue there are many centuries-old historical monuments in the US, they're just primarily in one region, The Atlantic coast.
Mediterraneo10 5y ago
China allows tourism, but I don’t think its present leadership considers it among the major ways to win hearts and minds. Restrictions on where foreigners are allowed to sleep at night remain in place, tourists are subject to the Great Firewall during their time in the country unless they know how to get around that, and some parts of the country that were quite open in the late 20th century and early millennium (Xinjiang, Tibet) are now much harder to access. Most of the post-Soviet countries hungry for tourism income and extension of soft power eventually lifted those kinds of hassles on visitors.

gherkinnn 5y ago

The US has few historical monuments. But it has national parks. There’s also only one Grand Canyon and only so many Death Valleys.

thehappypm 5y ago
I'd argue there are many centuries-old historical monuments in the US, they're just primarily in one region, The Atlantic coast.

Mediterraneo10 5y ago

China allows tourism, but I don’t think its present leadership considers it among the major ways to win hearts and minds. Restrictions on where foreigners are allowed to sleep at night remain in place, tourists are subject to the Great Firewall during their time in the country unless they know how to get around that, and some parts of the country that were quite open in the late 20th century and early millennium (Xinjiang, Tibet) are now much harder to access. Most of the post-Soviet countries hungry for tourism income and extension of soft power eventually lifted those kinds of hassles on visitors.