The Chinese female tourist gaze: a netnography of young women's blogs on Macao

This paper offers insights into women travellers' experiences and discusses the gendered views of female travellers originating from China on cross border trips to Macao. The analysis is derived from a careful reading or ‘thick description’ of blogs posted by female tourists that may be characterised as a web ethnography or netnography. The study indicates that the perception of Macao by Chinese women travellers embodies their confusion concerning modern life and their memories of tradition. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that Chinese women travellers conceptualise travelling as a way of underpinning the status of their self-identity. Besides, travelling in Macao for them is not just a leisure practice but a means to improve and enhance personal relationships.