Islands of enclavisation: Eco‐cultural island tourism and the relational geographies of near‐shore islands

Eco‐cultural island tourism is a global phenomenon. Accordingly, island studies has engaged with it through a variety of approaches, including relational geography perspectives. However, prevalent relational island studies theories tend to be based on remote, peripheralised archipelagos or urban island power centres and may thus be inappropriate for certain kinds of small, near‐shore islands. This paper uses a case study of Qi'ao, Zhuhai, China to argue that such islands may function as enclaves within mainland societies rather than enclaves for mainland societies, rooted in a number of interrelated geographical imaginaries. These imaginaries consolidate Qi'ao's present identity as an urban enclave against industrialisation and the collective intuition of historical discontinuity. It is also argued that, despite its many utilitarian benefits, the model of enclavising small, near‐shore islands for tourism begs an ethical question: for whom do these islands serve as enclaves? In response, I call for a new theorisation of small, near‐shore island relationality that considers some islands’ roles within, rather than simply external to, mainland societies.