Cultural-tourism integration helps drive China's high-quality development

China's cultural tourism industry has been revitalized through innovative integration with rural revitalization and intangible cultural heritage, consolidating its position as a key driver of high-quality economic development.

This development momentum aligns with the overall national strategy. The recommendations of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) emphasized that "effective preservation approaches should be adopted in cities, urban districts, towns, and villages renowned for their historical and cultural heritage to see that they continue to develop as living monuments to history." It also noted that China should deepen integration of culture and tourism through the vigorous development of cultural tourism and use culture to empower economic and social development. 

These important directives provide fundamental guidance and inject strong momentum into the deep integration and development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism.

In Jingxian County of east China's Anhui Province, the Xuan Paper Town has deeply rooted itself in the enduring cultural legacy of "millennium-old paper," enabling a single sheet of paper to support experiential learning and cultural innovation. 

The town has built a diversified commercial ecosystem, continuously extending its cultural value chain. It now offers over 10 heritage experience programs, including artisan workshops, Xuan brush making and ink-stick scenting. New formats like travel photography services, Xuan paper printing, study-tour restaurants and a themed dining experience have been introduced.

In 2024, the town received over 400,000 tourist visits, generating direct economic revenue nearing 20 million yuan ($2.8 million). Through a systematic business layout, secondary consumption revenue in Xuan Paper Town now accounts for 40 percent of the scenic area's total revenue, forming a healthy and sustainable business model.

In Zhangzhou City of southeast China's Fujian Province, the ancient city has integrated intangible cultural heritage into people's daily lives through immersive experiences. In water towns in east China's Zhejiang Province, such as Wuzhen and Xitang, visitors are immersed not only in the classic scenery of bridges and flowing streams but also in hands-on experiences like traditional indigo dyeing and ancient brewing techniques, staying in boutique guesthouses transformed from old residences.

These innovative practices from historical and cultural cities, districts, towns and villages fully demonstrate the immense potential and vibrant vitality of integrating intangible cultural heritage with tourism development. 

Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism underscores a robust recovery in the domestic tourism market. In 2024, the number of domestic tourist trips reached 5.615 billion, a year-on-year increase of 14.8 percent, with total tourism spending hitting 5.75 trillion yuan (about $814 billion), up 17.1 percent year on year.

"The integrated development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism in China has entered a new phase of vigorous growth. This trend not only reflects the tourism industry's recognition of intangible cultural heritage's contemporary value and conservation achievements but also highlights the positive role tourism plays in heritage transmission," said Yang Hong, director of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Communication Research Center at Communication University of China.

"In recent years, a number of cities have gained widespread popularity through various innovative approaches, sparking successive waves of urban cultural and tourism fervor. This phenomenon fully demonstrates the potential and vitality of economic recovery and development," said An Xiaoming, deputy director of the Institute of Reform, Opening-Up, and International Economy at the Henan Academy of Social Sciences.

The success of cultural tourism, achieved through innovative projects, unique cultural experiences and extensive social dissemination, has further enhanced the comprehensive strength of urban development, created new growth points for consumption and ultimately driven high-quality regional economic growth, the expert noted.