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Culture, tourism integration drives tourism market in China

China

China

China

Culture, tourism integration drives tourism market in China

2026-01-19 18:06 Last Updated At:01-20 00:14

This year, the cultural tourism market has remained highly active, with traditional culture deeply integrated into tourism experiences.

To celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar, the Dahong Mountain Scenic Area in Suizhou City of central China’s Hubei Province launched an initiative that encourages guests to enter for free by reciting a horse-themed poem, drawing large crowds of visitors to participate.

"Offering free admission to guests who recite a poem enhances visitor engagement, making traditional culture alive indeed," said a tourist named Yang Zikun.

In recent years, various scenic spots have focused on crafting cultural experience scenarios that immerse tourists in historical and cultural contexts. In Kaifeng City of central China's Henan Province, holographic projection and naked-eye 3D technology have enabled renowned historical figures to appear on screen as well as in the midst of the audience for interaction.

Meanwhile, in Liangzhu Ancient Town, east China's Zhejiang Province, tourists can don VR headsets to travel back over 5,000 years, witnessing early settlers constructing water conservancy systems and raising livestock.

In Shanghai, a business strategy called "ticket economy" is boosting consumer spending, under which a single event ticket unlocks discounts to various locations and services like shopping malls, restaurants and hotels.

Culture, tourism integration drives tourism market in China

Culture, tourism integration drives tourism market in China

With the May Day holiday coinciding with spring breaks in various regions, China's railway tourism market is heating up earlier than usual, as passenger-friendly measures are rolled out to boost cultural and tourism consumption.

"My family booked this trip for me. I'm just happy to travel with my husband," said a passenger.

In time for the May Day holiday, a new batch of branded tourist trains will be launched to cater to diverse passenger needs. China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) is also rolling out discount policies on tourist special trains as part of broader efforts to revitalize cultural tourism spending.

Meanwhile, accommodation along tourist train routes has begun offering coupon-based discounts.

According to data, the number of tourist trains operating nationwide in the first quarter increased by 440 compared to the same period last year. Moving forward, the integration of railway and tourism will continue to deepen.

"We plan to operate over 2,500 tourist trains this year and develop 50 premium railway tourist routes, so as to continuously energize the railway tourism market and foster new growth drivers in railway-backed consumer services," said Zhang Tao, deputy marketing director of the Passenger Transport Center of China Railway.

China rolls out passenger-friendly railway services ahead of May Day travel rush

China rolls out passenger-friendly railway services ahead of May Day travel rush

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