Decoding ethical codes under China’s “civilized tourism” policy: a non-Western normative pluralism moral frameworks
研究中国“文明旅游”政策下公共和可持续道德规范如何构建，发现其融合义务、美德和关系角色语言，体现多元规范结构，为理解不同文化中的旅游伦理提供参考。
Multiculturalism sustains the relevance of tourism ethical codes and calls for analysis beyond Western-centric paradigms. This study examines public and sustainable ethical codes issued under China’s state-promoted “Civilized Tourism” policy within a context of normative pluralism. Using content analysis and moral language theory, it explores how ethical norms are framed and prioritised. Three findings extend existing debates. First, the concerns related to sustainability are embedded in everyday behavioural norms, featuring collective behavioural orientation and local discourse integration. Second, the codes aggregate deontic, virtue-based, and relational-role-oriented language, reflecting an integrated pluralist structure rather than a single philosophical typology. Third, “civilization” functions as a moral-governance hinge linking policy objectives with behavioural prescriptions. The findings clarify how ethical codes in China reflect a distinctive blend of normative types and policy priorities, providing a useful analytical reference for understanding how tourism ethics evolve in diverse cultural and regulatory environments.