The article is devoted to the study of the role and place of tourism in the interaction and reconciliation of divided nations. The focus is on individual cases of Western and Eastern Germany, North and South Korea, the Taiwan-China conflict. Such a research approach enables to take into account international-political features of a particular conflict situation and to figure out general patterns of the influence of tourist contacts on the process of reconciliation.
The work reveals the evolution of mobility regimesbetween the conflicting parties and their influence on the transformation of bilateral relations. The political processes that preceded the development of tourist contacts between the two Germanies, on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait were highlighted. The influence of tourist interaction on the establishment of peace and political stability in the respective regions, the integration of divided nations into a single tourist-communicative and economic space have been explored.
It is argued thatinformal tourist contactsplay at constructive role in reducing tension, establishing trust and creating the environment for future political relations. It is emphasized that tourism cannot be an alternative to traditional diplomacy, the means of preventing direct violence or conflicts, however, it plays a significant role in eliminating "structural violence" – main cultural, social and economic differences that take place in conditions of protracted conflicts and political isolation of the parties. Reducing conflict occurs as the sustainability and openness of tourism between conflicting parties increase.
The article states that the current state of rivalry between Washington and Beijing in Northeast Asia complicates the process of reconciliation and reunification of divided nations, but does not reject it. Existing opportunities for expanding mobility regimes between North and South Korea, China and Taiwan open up significant prospects for this. It has been concluded that the transnational character of modern international relations makes it possible to actively use tourism as a neoliberal policy of socio-economic as well as cultural integration and foreign policy impact.
Differentiation and differences: anthropological research on the social integration of the Chaoxian immigrants currently residing in South Korea
