Dai Bin | Hainan, travel agents and a strong tourism nation

Since the reform and opening up, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's tourism development has entered the fast lane, forming the world's largest domestic tourism market and becoming the largest source of tourists and a major destination for international tourism. The tourism industry has grown from small to large, from weak to strong, and increasingly It has become an emerging strategic pillar industry, a people's livelihood industry and a happiness industry with distinctive characteristics of the times, and has successfully embarked on a unique path to China's tourism development. On this road, Hainan is a historical reader and a future space; travel agents are the vanguard of opening up, a vane of innovation, and an indispensable main force in building a strong tourism country. Research on Hainan and attention to traveling salesmen are a tribute to the history of Chinese tourism and a journey with the future of Chinese tourism.

Why choose Hainan?

Hainan is a historical textbook of tourism development. Hainan is the only tropical island province in China. It has a unique tropical rainforest ecosystem, a wetland ecosystem and a marine ecosystem, and is extremely rich in biodiversity. Sunlight, seawater, beaches, greenery and air are all indispensable elements for tourist resorts, and the coast around the island has them all. There are more than 60 places on the east coast line from Haikou to Sanya that can be used as seaside bathing beaches. Hainan is the last stop of Su Dongpo's life-long achievements "Huangzhou Huizhou Danzhou"; it is the birthplace of the Red Detachment of Women, and Wuzhi Mountain and Wanquan River carry the red gene and revolutionary culture; the legends of Tianya Haijiao and Luhuitou have given the Chinese people a romantic imagination of Hainan. It is precisely based on the rich natural and historical and cultural resources that Hainan cultivated tourism as a strategic pillar industry at the beginning of its establishment. Along with the historical process of mass tourism from the primary stage to the comprehensive development, Hainan has gradually moved from the traditional resource development oriented to the gathering of elements and kinetic energy innovation with vacation health care as the main focus and sightseeing and leisure as the consideration, and accelerated the improvement of the modern tourism system. The development process of Hainan's tourism from small to large, from weak to strong, and from traditional to modern is an important reading material for studying China's tourism path, summarizing development experience, and planning the blueprint for the future.

Hainan is a practical model of contemporary tourism. In order to meet the needs of tourists from home and abroad for a better life during their stay in Hainan, the local government has built a number of high-level tourist attractions, resorts and tourist leisure blocks in line with the development concept of shared development between residents and tourists, enriching the product system of eco-tourism, night tourism, rural tourism, self-driving tourism, etc. The newly built island tour station, the tourism transformation of the West Ring Conventional Railway, and the passenger throughput of Sanya and Haikou airports have both exceeded 20 million, which has effectively expanded the market space of Hainan's highway + tourism, railway + tourism, and aviation + tourism, and also provided a case for reference for the integrated development of infrastructure and tourism across the country. The Boao Forum for Asia is gradually becoming a platform for Hainan to deepen international exchanges and cooperation with countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" in the fields of tourism, economy and trade, science and technology, and humanities. The free admission to the Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area, the institutional innovation of the legal institution Sanya Tourism Promotion Bureau, and the listing and operation of the Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism Experimental Zone are all of reference value for the modernization of the governance system and governance capacity in the tourism field across the country.

Hainan is a strategic space for future tourism. After the comprehensive construction of a well-off society, mass tourism has entered a new stage of comprehensive development, and the extension of tourism space from land to sea will be the main line. Hainan has a variety of marine landscapes such as islands, coasts, seashores, beaches, straits, offshore, and offshore, as well as infrastructure such as cruise ports, yacht docks, diving areas, resort hotels, duty-free cities, and well-known tourist cities such as Sanya, Haikou, and Sansha. It also has international tourist islands, international tourism consumption centers, medical tourism experimental zones, and especially central policies such as free trade ports. It has strategic significance for exploration, experimentation, and demonstration and guidance for marine tourism. According to the "World Island Tourism Competitiveness Report (2019)" released by the China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), Hainan ranks seventh in the first echelon of global island tourism. In the list of candidates for seaside resorts for domestic tourists, Sanya and Haikou ranked third and ninth, and Sansha is even a legendary existence. With the development of Hainan, China's tourism pattern from land to sea has opened up.

Why emphasize traveling salesman?

For many years, travel agencies and tour guides have been classic businesses and representative groups in the international and domestic tourism industry. The dozens of miles of prohibition train journey initiated by Thomas Cook in 1841 went down in history and became a milestone event in modern tourism because it was the first time that professional and efficient travel services allowed the citizens to realize their dreams. travel dream. China Travel Service, founded by banker Mr. Chen Guangfu in 1923, is still remembered by industry players a hundred years later because he discovered business opportunities from national travel scenes rather than from textbooks, and developed products based on the actual needs of travelers. Since the 1980s, online travel platforms such as China International Travel Service (CITS), China National Travel Service (CTS), China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), Guangzhou Travel, Spring and Autumn, Caesar, Uoxin, as well as Ctrip, Qunar, Tongcheng, Mafengwo, etc. All have made historic contributions to inbound tourism and national tourism. An industry that is born with the times and contributes to the country should not go unseen; an industry that keeps pace with the times and serves the people's better life should not be unencouraged.

With the development of the economy and society, the technological progress represented by artificial intelligence and big data, and the rich travel experience of people, individual travel, self-guided travel, and free travel have become the main ways for people to travel. Internet platforms, map vendors, mobile communication vendors, car rental vendors, as well as new formats such as social software and short video platforms have become representatives of new tourism. Whether it is statistical data or the industry's cognition, the marginalization of traditional travel agencies seems to have become an irreversible trend. However, this is only a partial fact, but not the whole truth. From a deeper level, it is only the traditional operating methods of travel agencies that are marginalized, not the classic value of travel service providers. No matter how the demand changes or how diverse the information channels are, tourists' demand for quality travel services always exists, and free travel in a larger range of the world will increasingly rely on the professional services of travel agencies. Travel agencies such as Germany's TUI, Japan Transport Corporation, and American Express have always been important symbols of the world's tourism powers. They have grown together with the national tourism industry, and thus influenced the strategic pattern of the global tourism industry. Accelerating the improvement of the modern tourism system and building international tourist destinations and world-class tourism enterprises requires industrial policies and government actions, social investment and project construction, and travel agencies that link customer sources and resources. For Sanya, an international tourist destination, and Hainan, an international tourism consumption center, it is unimaginable without the active participation of travel agents.

As inbound tourism returns to the national strategic system, tourist destinations at all levels and types continue to increase their global marketing and promotion efforts, and their willingness to cooperate with overseas travel agencies has become stronger. Due to reasons such as information asymmetry and lack of market experience, some places will regard overseas promotion agencies, inbound travel agencies, and domestic outbound travel agents as partners in overseas roadshows and tourism development conferences. "Everything in the basket is full of food." As long as you come, you will be subsidized. In order to provide necessary reference for local governments to select inbound tourism partners, the China Tourism Research Institute (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) based on the company size of travel agencies and online travel agencies, the organization's business volume in China, the number of domestic user visits to SimilarWeb, etc. In the data dimension, the "30 International Travel Agents Most Worthy of Attention by Destination Provinces and Cities" were released for the first time. They are JTB (Japan Travel Bureau), Lion Travel, Hana Tour, Trip.com, Agoda, Klook, and Traveloka in Asia. , MyRealTrip, Rakuten Travel Experiences, KKDay, TuTu, Tez Tour, Pelago, MakeMyTrip, Thrillophilia, Mytour, Oway Travel, as well as TUI Group, Wendy Wu Tours, Booking, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Viator, GetYourGuide, TourRadar, TripWays, Musement, eDreams, Bookmundi and TravelStride. It should be noted that, as an academic research result, the above list does not involve ranking.

What kind of

A strong tourism country?

On May 17, the central government held a national tourism development conference in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on tourism work, focusing on improving the modern tourism system, accelerating the construction of a tourism power, allowing the tourism industry to better serve a better life, promote economic development, build a spiritual home, showcase China's image, and enhance mutual learning among civilizations.

We will attract people from all over the world to visit with a more open attitude, and continue to increase China's share in the global tourism market. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference. Practice has proved that China's economic development in the past 40 years has been achieved under open conditions, and in the future, China's economy must achieve high-quality development under more open conditions. This is a strategic choice made by China based on development needs, and it is also a practical action to promote economic globalization for the benefit of people from all over the world. Since last year, China has further increased its opening up in the tourism sector, especially visa facilitation has made significant progress, and the efficiency of immigration and customs clearance services for foreign tourists has increased rapidly. So far, China has implemented unilateral visa exemption for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, and has mutually exempted visas with dozens of countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Georgia, and implemented 72/144-hour entry visa exemption for more than 50 countries. The National Immigration Administration issued an announcement on May 15 to fully implement the visa exemption policy for foreign tourist groups taking cruise ships at all cruise ports along the coast of China. As time goes by, China will become more and more open in tourism and related fields, and tourists from more countries and regions will come to China to experience the beauty of "Elegant China, Hello China" firsthand.

We will enhance the richness of tourism products and the warmth of tourism services, so that every inbound tourist can travel, visit and live conveniently in China. Since last year, China has worked with countries and regions around the world to restore tourism supply chains such as aviation, hotels, and catering. This year, China's scheduled international passenger flights have recovered to 73.1% of 2019, and passenger flights have been connected to 70 countries, 5 more than before the epidemic. To facilitate consumption, the Chinese government has promoted the construction of international consumer center cities and payment facilitation at a high level. On July 19, 2021, with the approval of the State Council, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing took the lead in cultivating and building international consumer center cities. In conjunction with the planning of international tourist islands and free trade ports, Hainan has accelerated the construction of an international tourism consumption center. On March 7, 2024, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Optimizing Payment Services and Improving Payment Convenience", which made institutional arrangements such as "large-amount card swiping, small-amount code scanning, and cash guarantee" to further improve the payment convenience of inbound tourists, providing support for further optimizing the business environment, promoting high-quality development and high-level opening up. Data shows that the cumulative transaction amount of foreigners in China through Alipay has increased nearly 10 times year-on-year, the number of transactions has increased nearly 8 times year-on-year, and the number of active users has increased nearly 6 times year-on-year. By March this year, the average daily number of transactions for WeChat Pay's foreign card service had increased more than 4 times compared to before the foreign card service was upgraded in July last year, and the average daily transaction amount and number of transactions had increased more than 3 times.

We will cultivate world-class tourism groups and promote more competitive investment institutions and market entities to exchange and cooperate with international travel merchants. The construction of world-class tourist cities, tourist attractions and resorts, national tourism and leisure cities and neighborhoods, and the cultivation of new spaces for a better life shared by hosts and guests all rely on the support of world-class tourism enterprises. Without internationally influential travel agents, accommodation providers, retailers, scenic spots, and resorts, there is no industrial foundation for a tourism powerhouse. Although we already have top 20 Chinese tourism groups, such as Hong Kong CTS, OCT, Jinjiang, Shoulv, Lingnan, Ctrip, Chunqiu and Kaiyuan, as well as regional tourism groups, such as Hainan Tourism Investment and Mount Huangshan Tourism, our product innovation, market competitiveness and world influence still need to be improved. World class tourism enterprises must have widely recognized industrial competitiveness and international influence in order to promote the recovery and prosperity of the global tourism industry, and promote the economic and social development of the countries and regions they are located in. The international growth process of tourism groups is also to enable more tourists from all countries to better understand the real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China, so that the Chinese people can better understand the world, and promote the process of building a community with a shared future for mankind. As the tourism economy returns to a new cycle of prosperous development, future tourism groups should align with national strategies and regional tourism development requirements, accelerate digital transformation and intellectual property (IP) cultivation, take on more social responsibilities, and pay more attention to the power of community development and the needs of employee growth.

We will guarantee the people's freedom to walk on this beautiful land and this blue planet to the greatest extent possible. Tourism is a way to cultivate one's character. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have advocated "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles", and traveling abroad is especially what the people yearn for. We are willing to work with public institutions and tourism operators in various countries around the world to implement the global civilization initiative and strive to build a world tourism community. To this end, China no longer seeks to maintain a trade surplus in tourism services with any country at any time, and will pragmatically promote the Asian Tourism Promotion Plan proposed by President Xi Jinping, strengthen cooperation with countries around the world, especially those along the "Belt and Road" within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS mechanism, and the China-Japan-ROK Tourism Ministers' Meeting, and allow more countries and regions to share the prosperity opportunities of China's outbound tourism market.

Hainan, Travel Service Providers, and a Tourism Powerhouse(June 25, 2024, Sanya)Since the reform and opening up, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China‘s tourism development has entered the fast lane, forming the world‘s largest domestic tourism market. China has become the largest source market of international tourism and a major destination in the world. The tourism industry has grown from a small to a large sector, from a weak to a strong industry, increasingly becoming an emerging strategic pillar as well as a well-being and industry with significant contemporary characteristics. China has successfully embarked on a unique path of tourism development.

On this path, Hainan serves as both a historical primer and a future space. Travel agencies act as pioneers of openness, markers of innovation, and indispensable mainstays in building a strong tourism nation. Researching Hainan and focusing on travel agencies is paying homage to the history of Chinese tourism and journeying together towards its future.

I. Why Choose Hainan?

Hainan is a historical primer for tourism development. It is the only tropical island province in China, boasting unique tropical rainforest, wetland, and marine ecosystems with exceptionally rich biodiversity. Essential elements for tourism resorts—sunshine, seawater, beaches, greenery, and fresh air—are abundant along its coastal rim, where over 60 locations from Haikou to Sanya can be developed into seaside bathing areas. Hainan marks the final stage of Su Dongpo‘s life journey encompassing "Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou." It is the birthplace of the Red Detachment of Women, with Wuzhi Mountain and Wanquan River carrying the genes of the Party and revolutionary culture. Legendary sites like the "Ends of the Earth" and "Deer Turning Head" add a romantic dimension to the imagination of the Chinese people regarding Hainan. Based on its abundant natural and historical cultural resources, Hainan identified tourism as a strategic pillar industry from the province‘s inception. Accompanying the historical process of mass tourism from its initial stages to comprehensive development, Hainan has progressed from traditional resource development focused on sightseeing to integrating elements and innovation in driving forces by emphasizing resort rehabilitation while simultaneously catering to sightseeing and leisure , accelerating the improvement of its modern tourism system. Hainan‘s tourism has evolved from a small sector to a large one, a weak industry to a strong one, and from a traditional industry to a modern one, making it an important primer for studying China‘s tourism path, summarizing development experiences, and planning future blueprints.

Hainan serves as a contemporary model for tourism practice. To ensure a high quality of life for both local residents and visitors during their stay in Hainan, local government has adhered to the development philosophy of shared benefits between residents and tourists. They have constructed a number of high-grade tourist attractions, resorts, and leisure districts, enriching the product system of eco-tourism, night tourism, rural tourism, and road tourism. Newly built facilities such as the island-wide tourist stations, the tourism-oriented transformation of the Western Ring normal railway, and both Sanya and Haikou airports handling over 20 million passengers each, have significantly expanded Hainan‘s market space with road + tourism, rail + tourism, and air + tourism integration. These developments also serve as valuable examples for the integration of infrastructure and tourism development nationwide. The Boao Forum for Asia is gradually becoming an international platform for deepening exchanges and cooperation in tourism, economic and trade, science and technology, and culture between Hainan and countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative. Initiatives such as free admission to the End of the Earth and Corner of the Sea scenic area, institutional innovations by the Sanya Tourism Board, and the operational launch of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, all contribute valuable lessons to the modernization of governance systems and governance capabilities in China‘s tourism sector.

Hainan is poised to be a strategic space for future tourism. Following the comprehensive establishment of a moderately prosperous society, mass tourism is entering a new stage of comprehensive development, with expansion from land to sea becoming the main trend in tourism spatial development. Hainan boasts a variety of marine landscapes including islands, coasts, beaches, straits, near-seas, and far-seas. It features infrastructure such as cruise ports, yacht marinas, diving areas, resort hotels, duty-free cities, and well-known tourist cities like Sanya, Haikou, and Sansha.

With designations like International Tourism Island, International Tourism Consumption Center, and Medical Tourism Experimental Zone, and especially supported by central policies such as the Free Trade Port, Hainan holds strategic significance as an experimental and leading example in exploring marine tourism. According to the World Island Tourism Competitiveness Report (2019) by the China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), Hainan consistently ranks among the top global island destinations, securing the seventh position.

In domestic beach resort destination rankings for Chinese tourists, Sanya and Haikou rank third and ninth respectively, with Sansha being a legendary presence. Hainan‘s development signifies the opening up of China‘s tourism from land-based to marine-based tourism on a grand scale.

II. Why Emphasize Travel Agencies?

For many years, travel agencies and tour guides have been classic formats and representative groups within both international and domestic tourism industries. The significance of Thomas Cook‘s pioneering excursion in1841, the "train journey without alcohol" covering several miles, which has been immortalized in history as a milestone event in modern tourism, lies in its provision of professional and efficient travel services. This allowed citizens, for the first time, to realize their travel dreams. Similarly, the establishment of China Travel Service by banker Mr. Chen Guangfu in 1923 continues to be remembered by industry professionals a century later because he identified business opportunities from the national travel scene rather than textbooks, developing products based on the real needs of travelers.

Since the 1980s, entities like China International Travel Service (CITS), China Travel Service (CTS), China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), Guangdong Travel, Chunqiu, Caesar, Zhongxin, as well as online travel platforms like Ctrip, Qunar, Tongcheng, and Mafengwo, have all made significant contributions to the history of inbound tourism and domestic tourism. An industry born of its time and contributing to the nation should not go unnoticed. An industry that progresses with the times, serving the people‘s pursuit of a better life, should be encouraged.

With the economic and social development, technological advancements represented by artificial intelligence and big data, and people‘s enriched travel experiences, individual travel, self-guided tours, and independent travel have become the main modes of travel for people. Enterprises such as internet platforms, mapping services, mobile communication providers, car rental services, social media apps, and short video platforms have emerged as representatives of new travel and tourism business players. Both statistical data and industry recognition suggest that the marginalization of traditional travel agencies appears to be an irreversible trend.

However, this is only a partial truth, not the whole reality. Looking deeper, what is marginalized is the traditional operational mode of travel agencies, not the classic value of travel service providers. Regardless of changes in demand and the diversification of information channels, there remains a persistent demand from tourists for quality travel services. As independent travel on a global scale increasingly relies on professional services provided by travel agencies, the need for their expertise becomes more pronounced.

Companies like TUI in Germany, Japan Travel Bureau, and American Express in the United States have long been significant symbols of leading tourism nations worldwide. They have grown in tandem with their respective national tourism industries and have influenced the strategic landscape of global tourism. Accelerating the improvement of the modern tourism system and constructing international tourist destinations and world-class tourism enterprises require industry policies, governmental support, social investments, and project developments. Equally crucial is the role of travel agencies in connecting tourist sources with travel and tourism resources. For destinations like Sanya, an international tourism hotspot, and Hainan, an international tourism consumption center, the proactive role of travel agencies is indispensable to their success in the global tourism arena.

With the resurgence of inbound tourism as a national strategic priority, various levels and types of tourist destinations are increasingly intensifying their global marketing efforts and showing stronger willingness to collaborate with overseas travel agencies. Due to reasons such as information asymmetry and limited market experience, some regional destination include overseas promotion agencies in China, inbound travel agencies, and outbound travel businesses as partners in overseas roadshows and tourism development conferences, offering subsidies indiscriminately to attract them.

To provide necessary reference for local governments in selecting partners for inbound tourism cooperation, the China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) has, for the first time, released a list of "30 International Travel Agencies Most Worthy of Attention by Chinese Destinations." This list is based on dimensions such as the company size of travel agencies and online travel platforms, the volume of their business to China, and their user traffic data from platforms like Similarweb.

The listed agencies include prominent names from Asia such as Lion Travel, Hana Tour, JTB (Japan Travel Bureau), trip.com, Agoda, Klook, Traveloka, MyRealTrip, Rakuten Travel Experiences, KKDay, TuTu, Tez Tour, Pelago, MakeMyTrip, Thrillophilia, Mytour, and Oway Travel. From Europe, the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand, agencies like TUI Group, Wendy Wu Tours, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Viator, GetYourGuide, TourRadar, TripWays, Musement, eDreams, Bookmundiand TravelStride are highlighted. It‘s important to note that this list, as an academic research outcome, does not imply any specific ranking among the agencies mentioned.

III. What kind of tourism powerhouse do we need to build?

On May 17th, the Central Government convened the National Tourism Development Conference in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered important instructions on tourism development, emphasizing the need to improve the modern tourism industry system and accelerate the construction of a tourism powerhouse. This aims to better serve quality living, promote economic development, foster spiritual well-being, showcase China‘s image, and enhance mutual cultural understanding.

We will attract people from all countries and regions around the world with a more open attitude, continuously increasing China‘s share in the global tourism market. President Xi Jinping stated in his keynote speech at the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference that China‘s economic development over the past 40 years has been achieved under open conditions. He emphasized that for China to achieve high-quality economic development in the future, it must continue to operate under even more open conditions. This strategic choice is based on China‘s developmental needs and aims to benefit people around the world through practical actions that promote economic globalization.

Since last year, China has further intensified its efforts to open up in the tourism sector, notably making significant progress in visa facilitation. Efforts have led to rapid improvements in immigration and customs services for overseas tourists. As of now, China has unilaterally implemented visa-free policies for countries including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, and others. Additionally, mutual visa exemption agreements have been reached with countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and Georgia, among dozens of others. Furthermore, China has implemented 72/144-hour visa-free transit policies for over 50 countries.

On May 15th, the National Immigration Administration announced the comprehensive implementation of visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups arriving by cruise ship at all coastal ports in China. Over time, China‘s openness in tourism travel and related fields will continue to expand, welcoming more tourists from various countries and regions to experience firsthand the beauty of "elegant China, hello China" – "风雅华夏、你好中国".

We are committed to enhancing the diversity of tourism products and the warmth of tourism services, ensuring that every inbound tourist in China can travel, explore, and live conveniently. Since last year, China has been working with countries and regions worldwide to restore the tourism supply chain including aviation, hotels, and dining services. This year, China has restored international passenger flights to 73.1% of the 2019 level, with flights operating to 70 countries, adding 5 more countries compared to before the pandemic. To facilitate consumption, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted the construction of international consumer center cities and payment convenience. On July 19, 2021, with State Council approval, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing were designated as pilot cities for developing international consumer center cities.

Integrated with plans for international tourism islands and free trade ports, Hainan is accelerating the construction of an international tourism consumption center. On March 7, 2024, the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Optimizing Payment Services to Enhance Payment Convenience," which introduced institutional arrangements such as "large amount payments by credit card , small amount payments by QR code, and cash as a backup," aiming to enhance payment convenience for inbound tourists and support further optimization of the business environment, promoting high-quality development, and high-level opening up.

Data shows that transactions by overseas users through Alipay in China increased nearly 10 times in cumulative transaction amount compared to last year, with transaction numbers up almost 8 times, and active user numbers growing nearly 6 times. By March this year, WeChat Pay‘s daily average transaction numbers for overseas card services increased more than 4 times compared to before the upgrade in July last year, while daily average transaction amounts and the number of transactions grew over 3 times.

We will nurture world-class tourism groups and promote more competitive investment institutions and market entities to cooperate with international travel companies. The construction of world-class tourist cities, tourist attractions, and resorts, as well as national tourism and leisure cities and districts, to cultivate a new space for shared and beautiful living, all rely on the support of world-class tourism enterprises. Without globally influential travel agencies, accommodation providers, tourism retailers, tourist attractions, and resorts, there would be no industrial foundation for a strong tourism nation. Despite already having top 20 Chinese tourism groups such as Hong Kong China Travel Service, Overseas Chinese Town, Jinjiang, BTG, Lingnan, Ctrip, Spring Airlines, and Kaiyuan, as well as regional tourism groups like Hainan Tourism Investment and Huangshan Tourism, there is still room for improvement in product innovation, market competitiveness, and global influence. World-class tourism enterprises must possess widely recognized industrial competitiveness and international influence to promote the recovery and prosperity of the global tourism industry, and to promote the socio-economic development of their respective countries and regions. The international growth of tourism groups also enables more foreign tourists to better understand the real, comprehensive, and three-dimensional China, and allows the Chinese people to deepen their understanding of the world, advancing the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. With the tourism economy returning to a new cycle of prosperity, future tourism groups should align with national strategies and regional tourism development requirements, accelerate digital transformation and intellectual property cultivation, undertake more social responsibilities, and pay more attention to the rights of community development and the growth needs of employees.

We will maximize the protection of our people‘s freedom to travel on this beautiful land and this blue planet. Tourism is a way to cultivate oneself, and the Chinese people have long revered the saying "read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles." Outbound tourism has been particularly sought after by the people. We are willing to work together with public institutions and tourism industry stakeholders worldwide to promote global civilization initiatives and strive for the construction of a global tourism community for the people. Therefore, China will no longer seek to maintain a tourism service trade surplus with any country at any time. We will pragmatically advance President Xi Jinping‘s proposal for the Asia Tourism Promotion Plan and strengthen cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative within frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS mechanisms, and the China-Japan-Korea Tourism Ministers Meeting. This aims to enable more countries and regions to sshare in the prosperity of China‘s outbound tourism market.

Author | Dai Bin Editor | Liu Xin Source | China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) Please indicate the author and source for reprinting