Since the beginning of this year, China's cultural and tourism market has continued to heat up, with new formats and scenarios constantly emerging, becoming one of the most dynamic industries for development.
From August 22nd to August 24th, as one of the important events of the 2024 Sun Island Entrepreneur Annual Conference, the High Quality Development Forum on the Integration of Characteristic Culture and Tourism with Industry, the Dialogue on Characteristic Culture and Tourism Lawn, the Characteristic Culture and Creativity Market, and the "Erbin Summer" Characteristic Culture and Tourism Research were held in Harbin. More than 400 guests, including leaders from the cultural and tourism departments, representatives from phenomenal cultural and tourism cities, cultural industry experts, cultural and tourism enterprises, and brand leaders, gathered at the forum and participated in activities. They initiated a series of in-depth dialogues and industry linkage around the innovation of characteristic cultural and tourism, and the high-quality development path of cultural and tourism industry integration.
In the current era of flourishing development of characteristic cultural tourism, how can industrial integration move towards deeper and new development? As an important practice of new quality productivity, what new formats have emerged in the cultural and tourism industry in recent years? What changes have occurred in tourist behavior, especially among the younger generation? What other new tracks are being explored?
The cultural and tourism event held at "Erbin" in the new autumn attempts to unravel the current trend code of cultural and tourism development.
Trend 1: Emotional tourism has become a "must-have" for the younger generation
The popularity of cities such as "Erbin", Zibo, and Tianshui has brought the keyword of emotional tourism into the public eye. As an emerging form of travel, emotional tourism has occupied an important place in the cultural and tourism industry. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, the highest level is self actualization needs, which coincides with the purpose of emotional tourism. Tourism is no longer just a simple landmark check-in, but has become a "must-have" for modern people, especially the younger generation, to express their emotions and release stress.
At the forum held on the 23rd, Chu Xuejun, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Xinhua News Agency, pointed out that the new boundaries of the cultural and tourism industry are constantly expanding, and new formats are constantly emerging. Several guests also mentioned in their speeches that with the development of social media and short video platforms, emotional elements are becoming increasingly prominent in people's travel behavior. For example, "Citywalk" focuses on "emotional immersion", "boiling tea around the stove" emphasizes social and emotional communication, "temple tours" are like a form of "emotional healing", and the popularity of "internet famous" cities relies on "emotional resonance". Tourism self taking or experience sharing on social media is just like a butterfly flaring its wings in the "network butterfly effect", which uses the Internet to stir up information transmission ripples, trigger emotional resonance and even collective imitation, and generate cultural tourism behavior decisions and value growth.
This past winter, "Erbin" has been popular, not only due to factors such as optimizing tourism services, but also because "Binzi"'s sincere, hospitable "personality" is the core element that has ignited countless fans in the online circle. Li Zhuomin, Deputy Director of Harbin Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, said that netizens affectionately refer to Harbin as "Erbin", which instantly gives an old industrial base a youthful appearance. Kong Qingbin, Chairman of Harbin Madier Culture and Tourism Investment Group, shared at the forum that he will continue to expand the comprehensive effect of the booming ice and snow tourism industry, seize the three elements of core IP creation, emotional value provision, and consumer market construction, and innovate and create in products and projects.
Trend 2: The development of "technology+culture and tourism" is unstoppable
As an important practice of new quality productivity, the cultural and tourism industry is increasingly rich in "new" content. The deep integration of technology and tourism has transformed "smart" cultural tourism, "digital" cultural tourism, and "technological" cultural tourism from concepts into reality. By utilizing artificial intelligence and big data technology, cultural and tourism projects can also more accurately understand tourists' needs and preferences, and provide personalized tourism products and services.
The new scenes and projects created by immersive experience technology have become new highlights of many museums and scenic spots. In November last year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in conjunction with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, announced the first batch of 30 "5G+Smart Tourism" application pilot projects; In February of this year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, launched the first batch of 42 national pilot projects for cultivating new spaces for immersive experiences in smart tourism.
Since the second half of 2023, Harbin Ice and Snow World has created a metaverse experience space and a Dragon Soaring Charm light and shadow show by introducing technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. The innovative application of vibration wave sensor technology in the ice scenic area will change the color of the light strip when tourists walk over the sensing ice surface, enriching their experience. In the research activity of "Erbin Summer" featured cultural tourism held at the same time of this cultural tourism forum, the research guests specially visited the four season ice and snow project of Harbin Ice and Snow World. Through the immersive ice and snow light shadow interaction experience, tourists can "travel through winter and summer in a second". Kong Qingbin introduced that this summer, an innovative immersive performance called "Encountering Harbin" was created on the river, which integrates people, sound, light, water, electricity, film, and scenery, allowing tourists to see "Erbin" from a different perspective. Fan Zhou, chief expert of the National Cultural and Tourism Research Base, said during the dialogue on the characteristic cultural and tourism lawn that digital tourism and new formats have already surpassed traditional tourism formats.
The "technological style" is bringing new ways of opening up traditional cultural tourism, and digital means such as games have become important carriers for cultural tourism dissemination and promotion. Recently, the first domestic 3A game Black Myth: Wukong was launched. The highly restored Yuhuang Temple in Jincheng, Shanxi, Dazu Rock Carvings, Chongqing and other places of interest and cultural elements in the game became the focus of "going out of the circle". People immediately started the "two-way rush" between virtual and reality. According to data released by Ctrip, from 0:00 to 12:00 on August 20th, the search popularity in cities such as Datong and Shuozhou increased by 20% month on month. Many foreigners are also depicted by the game as "circle fans" of China's beautiful scenery. The first launch project of the Yuanmingyuan IP in Harbin was launched on the forum. According to the project leader, the Chinese Yuanmingyuan Society is also actively promoting the digital transformation of the Yuanmingyuan IP. The combination of technology, culture, and tourism provides an excellent way to showcase cultural confidence and tell the story of China well.
With the support of technological means, people can fully mobilize various senses such as vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell, and obtain richer and more diverse feelings and cognition. At the lawn dialogue held on the 23rd, Jin Gang, CEO of Tianjin Manggou Animation Technology Co., Ltd., believed that the most important aspect of VR technology is the integration of reality and virtuality. Through innovative digital methods and scene creation, users can empathize, immerse themselves, and interact, making the cultural and tourism experience more rich. Zhou Junping, Deputy Director of Cangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, believes that in order to develop tourism in Cangzhou, it is necessary to empower technology, which can enhance the experience of sightseeing and improve services.
Trend Three: Experiential and Immersive Cultural Tourism Consumption Becomes Mainstream
According to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of domestic tourists in the first half of this year was 2.725 billion, a year-on-year increase of 14.3%; The total expenditure of domestic tourists on travel was 2.73 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.0%. It has played a significant role in promoting consumption and stimulating domestic demand, and tourism consumption has become an indispensable part of people's better life.
In today's increasingly emphasis on personalization and diversity, people are also paying more and more attention to the experience and quality of cultural and tourism products, shifting from the traditional "rushing to the scenic spots" to in-depth tours, experiential tours, immersive tours, and interactive tours. Experiential cultural tourism emphasizes the personal participation and experiential feelings of tourists during the travel process. By providing rich and diverse experiential projects, tourists can deeply understand local culture, participate in local activities, interact with the natural and cultural environment, and feel the connotation and charm of culture in the experience.
At the beginning of the year, a video of Oroqen people wearing deer horn hats cruising on Central Street in Harbin became popular in the "sky splashing" traffic of "Erbin Hot", making this one of the least populous ethnic groups "seen" and becoming a "planted grass" tourism choice. Zhang Zicheng, Deputy Banner Chief of the People's Government of Oroqen Autonomous Banner in Hulunbuir City, said during the forum's promotion session that with the help of popularity, Oroqen Autonomous Banner focuses on the main trend of immersive experiential tourism, launching a series of deep experiential tourism products that are rich in Oroqen characteristics and meet market demand, such as "Being an Oroqen for a Day" folk experience, "Migration Footprint" historical and cultural experience, "Steam Age" forest industry cultural experience, "Tree House Starry Sky" forest health care, etc., organically integrating historical culture and natural resources, and telling the story of Oroqen from point to area.
The grassland in summer is a symbol of "poetry and distance" in the hearts of many tourists, and has now become one of the important destinations for "experiential" tourism. Qin Lei, Deputy Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Ordos City, introduced during the promotion session that in Ordos, the desert, Yellow River, and grassland complement each other, creating a scenic area that can be visited all year round, especially suitable for experiential travel such as self driving and camping.
Trend 4: Rural tourism is booming, driving homestays towards specialization and quality
Sitting steadily in the white clouds, the thatched pavilion is quiet and peaceful. Tang Dynasty poet Qian Qi depicted in his poetry a peaceful and comfortable pastoral life and rural scenery. In recent years, rural tourism has continued to be popular. According to the data center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, since the summer of this year, a total of 8.8615 million people have been received at 185 rural tourism monitoring points across the country, a year-on-year increase of 3.45%. The transaction volume of summer rural homestays increased by 81% compared to the same period last year, and the content of rural tourism is shifting from traditional ecological sightseeing to theme based rural tourism such as research-based rural tourism and museum based rural tourism.
The important guiding principle for promoting rural revitalization and developing the rural homestay industry throughout the country is to see mountains, water, and remember homesickness. Staying away from the hustle and bustle, getting close to nature, and seeking nostalgia are becoming a fashion trend, and homestays are undoubtedly one of the best windows and carriers.
The Guiding Opinions on Promoting High Quality Development of Rural Homestays jointly issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and ten other departments propose to use the development of rural homestays as a link to carry out diversified business operations, expand comprehensive business formats such as shared agriculture, handicrafts, characteristic cultural experiences, agricultural and sideline product processing, e-commerce logistics, etc., create a rural tourism complex, and effectively play a driving role.
Young users, represented by those born in the 1990s, are becoming the mainstream of homestay consumption and are more willing to pay for unique, exquisite, and in-depth rural experiences. Homestays are clearly developing towards quality and uniqueness, and various regions across the country are also trying to launch a variety of "homestay+" products to accelerate the innovative development of the cultural and tourism economy.
In the homestay industry, there is a saying: "Chinese homestays look for Deqing, but Deqing homestays look for Mogan. Zhou Zhifang, member of the Standing Committee of Deqing County Committee and Minister of Propaganda Department, introduced at the forum that in 2007, Moganshan became a model and benchmark for the development of high-end rural homestays since the first "foreign family music" - Naked Heart Township settled in Moganshan. In recent years, facing the new situation and new normal of cultural tourism, Deqing County has guided and supported homestays to carry out high-end, boutique, and themed upgrades, and to find the future through the iteration of accommodation products and the transformation of lifestyles. Deqing participated in the formulation of the national "Quality Standards for Rural Homestay Services" and was the first in the country to carry out homestay service certification. The homestay butler was successfully declared as a new national profession, and the "homestay butler" national professional standard led by Deqing was officially released.
Huang Jiexiao, Deputy Director of the Tourism, Culture and Sports Bureau of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone in Fujian Province, introduced that Pingtan homestays account for a large proportion, and there are many homestays that can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the seaside. For example, the "Sleeping by the Sea" homestay, which has become a popular check-in spot for internet celebrities, has transformed seven idle houses into a "white castle" nestled by the mountains and the sea. It has also been equipped with multifunctional areas such as dining, coffee, lounge, library, and infinity pool, solving the problem of many homestays lacking dining and entertainment facilities and enhancing the tourist experience.
In Yinan County, Linyi City, we have explored linkage development models such as "homestay+study tour", "homestay+cultural and creative", "homestay+health and wellness", and "homestay+intangible cultural heritage" to create rural memories. As a sensory tourism product, homestays can provide tourists not only with accommodation, but also with a "homestay+" experience that deeply explores the charm of rural culture and generates more consumption scenarios, upgrading rural homestays from a part of tourism accommodation to high-quality travel destinations.
Trend 5: Cultural and creative industries and check-in have become "hard currency" for travel
In recent years, guided by the concept of "creative transformation and innovative development", the cultural and creative industries have interacted with cultural confidence, producing many popular cultural and creative products. From the cultural and creative ceiling of the Forbidden City IP, cultural and creative ice-cream in major scenic spots, "collection travel" to the "hard currency" of anime lovers - "millet", cultural and creative tourism has become a driving factor, and many people jokingly call cultural and creative tourism the "last stop" of travel, and the "last exhibition hall" of the museum.
At this forum, the signing ceremony of the Erbin Cultural and Creative Industry High Quality Development Alliance was held. Harbin has taken advantage of the "ice and snow fever" to cultivate the "Erbin" city brand, and applied for registration of four trademarks including "Erbin" and "Erbin", totaling 140 categories. Among them, a "Ice City Four Seasons AR Refrigerator Patch" topped the hot search list with its exquisite design and high-tech AR animation effects, selling over 100000 units throughout the entire ice and snow season.
In the increasingly "crowded" cultural and creative industry, products with "interactive" and "immersive" features are necessary to fully capture emotional value and attract consumers. For example, the recently popular "Spicy Hot Pot" series in Gansu Museum is a typical sample. Its prototype is Tianshui Spicy Hot Pot, composed of crab sticks, rice cakes, mushrooms and other plush toys. After the on-site customers have selected, the staff will inquire about their taste, brush on the "secret sauce", patiently "cook", and finally settle the bill. The new gameplay not only makes this cultural and creative product sell out immediately, but also brings a new experience to cultural tourism.
In addition, many cultural and creative industries have attempted to break through geographical limitations and turn "venues" into channels for storytelling and dialogue, thereby unlocking new cultural and tourism codes and becoming a way to attract foot traffic. Among them, the cultural and creative market is a popular and highly anticipated highlight of cultural and tourism consumption in recent years.
As one of the important events of the 2024 Sun Island Entrepreneur Annual Conference, the featured cultural and creative market is exhibited simultaneously. Products and brands from Xinhua Cultural and Creative, Xinhua Military, China Yuanmingyuan Society, "Erbin Gift", Ruijin Cultural Tourism, Shaanxi Immigrant Relocation, Ice and Snow World, Hongyi Academy, Shanhai Culture, Beijing Dragon in the Sky Shadow Art Theater, Times Cartoon, Tanggulai, and multiple cultural and creative institutions from Inner Mongolia also appeared on Sun Island, attracting the attention of guests from various industries attending the conference. At the forum on the 23rd, the results of the collection of works for the 2024 Cultural and Creative Design Competition hosted by Xinhua News Agency were officially released. Through this competition, a "big cultural and creative" platform will be jointly built, which will continue to empower industrial integration. Zhou Zaolin, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the Chinese Yuanmingyuan Society, revealed during a lawn conversation in the afternoon that they will collaborate with Xinhua News Agency and other units to develop the Yuanmingyuan IP and produce joint cultural and creative products, allowing more people to understand the history and future of the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens" and share cultural stories together.
Cultural and creative industries are also important carriers for cultural tourism to go global. The person in charge of Evian Group mentioned multiple times on the same day that they have created a "Chinese Ethnic Aesthetics Pattern Database" and a "Chinese Craftsman Database", which includes and organizes more than 8900 Chinese ethnic patterns, allowing designers and collaborators from around the world to participate in "Chinese creativity, global design". Shu Chang, Vice General Manager of Hangzhou Guansheng Culture, also said in the lawn dialogue that through overseas cultural and creative exhibitions and other projects, it actively helps China's cultural tourism to "go global".
Those who observe the situation are wise, and those who control the situation win. The integration of culture and tourism is constantly evolving, providing unlimited space for the upgrading of industries. According to the China Tourism Research Institute, the number of domestic tourists in 2024 is expected to exceed 6 billion, and domestic tourism revenue is expected to exceed 6 trillion yuan. The cultural and tourism boom is like a main thread, deeply affecting various aspects of economic operation. How to respond to the trend and seize the wind requires constantly writing answers in the tide of the times.