Redefining China's Cultural Tourism Landscape: Six Transformative Consumption Trends...
Title: Redefining China's Cultural Tourism Landscape: Six Transformative Consumption Trends Shaping the New Economy
By GAO Hong and LIU Jiahao
Cultural and tourism consumption is not only a crucial lever for boosting domestic demand but also a vital foundation for high-quality economic development. According to the data from Meituan, six emerging trends in China's cultural and tourism consumption have been identified: rapid shifts in tourism hotspots, accelerated integration across consumption sectors and scenarios, sustained momentum in county-level tourism, the rising popularity of museums, an increased preference for "micro-vacations", and the widespread "localized" travel experiences. To further invigorate cultural and tourism consumption, it is recommended that greater priority be placed on expanding this sector, with efforts focused on cultivating consumption scenarios, enhancing public services and infrastructure, and supporting the industry's digital transformation. These measures will empower the cultural and tourism sector to play an even more substantial role in driving domestic demand and stimulating consumption.
Expanding domestic demand remains a top priority in China's economic policy agenda. Recognized for its distinctive capacity to integrate multiple sectors and generate significant multiplier effects across industrial chains, the tourism industry has solidified its position as a strategic cornerstone for stimulating domestic consumption. Propelled by the dual forces of supply-side advancements and demand-side dynamics, China's tourism industry has witnessed thriving development in recent years. China possesses the largest domestic tourism market, serves as the leading source of outbound travelers, and ranks among the top destinations for international visitors. In May 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping issued key directives for tourism development, stressing the need to uphold fundamental principles while forging ahead, enhance quality and efficiency, and pursue integrated development. He also highlighted the importance of improving the modern tourism industrial system and accelerating the drive to build China into a strong tourism country. Only in this way can tourism better meet people's growing aspirations for a better life. Through these directives, it can be noted that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the tourism industry in China has experienced flourishing development, marked by the continuous emergence of new business formats and models, along with increasingly prominent comprehensive benefits. New forms of cultural and tourism consumption have become an essential part of people's pursuit of a better life. Reinforcing this trajectory, the 2024 Central Economic Work Conference outlined strategies to develop diverse consumption environments, broaden service-oriented consumption, and propel cultural tourism synergies. Mirroring the urban-rural consumption shift from tangible goods to experiential services, innovative tourism formats have emerged as pivotal drivers in domestic demand activation.
Emerging Trends in China's Cultural and Tourism Consumption Rapid Shifts in Tourism Hotspots and the Rise of "Internet Celebrity " Cities
With the amplification of social media, the landscape of China's cultural and tourism consumption is undergoing rapid changes in popular destinations and themes. As the service consumption market shifts towards experiential offerings, the interaction between consumption hotspots and social networks becomes more prominent. From Zibo (East China's Shandong province), famous for its barbecue culture, to Harbin (capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province),known for its winter charm, "internet celebrity" cities are springing up one after another. Moreover, tourism consumption now spans diverse domains, including food and beverage, sporting events, cultural performances, ice and snow activities, and educational trips. The potential of these hotspots continues to grow with remarkable vitality. As cities and trending topics maintain theironline visibility, the rotation of consumption hotspots is accelerating. For instance, during the 2025 Spring Festival, the booming film market inspired numerous movie enthusiasts to embark on "film-inspired travels". The Shandong Laoling Film Studio opened its Chinatown-themed sets, a filming location for the movie Detective Chinatown 1900, exclusively for the holiday season. This attracted tourists nationwide, eager to experience the iconic setting. According to Meituan's data, searches for "Laoling Film Studio" surged, accompanied by a 75.9% year-on-year increase in off-site consumption during the Chinese New Year period. Indeed, throughout the consumption trajectories of major developed economies, the interplay between tourism and other service-related expenditures has consistently been a significant trend. For instance, Hollywood’s film industry has long fueled "movie-inspired travels", making tourism a cornerstone of Los Angeles's economy.
Unlocking Growth Potential: Cross-Industry Collaboration in Diverse Consumption Scenarios
China's tourism consumption is currently undergoing a comprehensive upgrade, evolving from traditional sightseeing to vacation-oriented and experiential travel. The tourism paradigm is progressively shifting towards integrated activities that encompass leisure, vacation, event participation, wellness pursuits, and more. The travel ecosystem is increasingly characterized by cross-industry convergence and multi-dimensional consumption scenarios. This inter-sector collaboration and scenario integration more effectively propel destination-wide consumption growth. The rising trend of multi-scenario and multi-sector consumption among tourists during their leisure activities has amplified the multiplier effect of the tourism industry, substantially enhancing urban economic vitality. Based on Meituan's data analysis, during Harbin’s 2024 winter tourism season, every yuan spent by non-local visitors on attraction tickets generated an additional 2.32 yuan in platform-based service consumption. This phenomenon is fundamentally linked to the enabling role of digital platforms. Functioning as comprehensive gateways for destination city experiences, these online platforms facilitate seamless access to diverse services, including attraction tickets, accommod