Dai Bin | Make Tourism a Way to Experience a Better Life in a Different Place

On the occasion of the National Two Sessions, Dai Bin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the director of the China Tourism Academy, was interviewed by "Minsheng Weekly". He talked extensively about how the landscape is above life. The full text is as follows:

From merely enjoying the scenery and natural beauty to experiencing life in different regions, China's tourism industry is undergoing a gradual transformation. "Tourism has become a pillar industry, a livelihood industry, and a happiness industry," said Dai Bin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the director of the China Tourism Academy, and the director of the Cultural and Tourism Department's Data Center. "We need to focus on improving the modern tourism system, promoting the deep integration of culture and tourism, accelerating the construction of a tourism power, and promoting the high-quality development of the tourism industry." Tourism has become a regular form of consumption

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently released the data on domestic residents' travel in 2025. According to the statistics from the sample survey of domestic residents' travel, in 2025, the number of domestic residents' trips was 6.522 billion, an increase of 907 million compared to the previous year, representing a year-on-year growth of 16.2%; the expenditure on domestic residents' travel was 6.30 trillion yuan, an increase of 550 billion yuan compared to the previous year, representing a year-on-year growth of 9.5%.

"Tourism has become a regular form of consumption for people," Dai Bin said. This is an important trend in the development of the tourism industry. He recalled that before the 1990s, traveling required one to prepare a household registration certificate and an introduction letter. Around the turn of the 2000s, traveling was a very ritualistic and uncommon form of consumption. But now, tourism has become a common occurrence for ordinary people.

Dai Bin believes that the biggest policy opportunity for the tourism industry lies in the fact that tourism has truly become an indispensable part of people's pursuit of a better life.

The demand for tourism has also been adjusting. The characteristics of diversity, quality and individuality have become increasingly prominent. "In the past, tourism mainly brought us functional value. Now, it brings us more emotional value. Under the influence of emotions, there are beautiful scenes everywhere in China," said Dai Bin.

In recent years, some unexpected attractions have emerged, such as the San Yuan Li market in Beijing and the farmers' market in Hangzhou, which have become popular destinations for young people. Previously, the main tourist scenes were limited to scenic spots. Now, not only scenic areas, but also resort areas, historical and cultural districts, business districts, museums, art galleries, libraries, science and technology museums, and cultural centers have all become destinations for tourists.

The influence and shaping of tourism by culture has become increasingly prominent. Folk activities such as the English dance in Guangzhou, the duo-tang performances in Northeast China, and the Dong ethnic group's large-scale songs in Guizhou have become deeply engaging projects for tourists. Red tourism remains popular as well, with destinations like Yan'an attracting many visitors.

Technology is increasingly driving the tourism industry. Technologies such as electronic visas and fast customs clearance have made travel more convenient. "A prosperous, open, inclusive and shared era of tourism is coming," said Dai Bin.

From "enjoying the view" to "settling down"

As tourism shifts from sightseeing to experiential travel, home-stays have begun to gain popularity. Dai Bin classifies the current group of home-stay travelers into four categories: The first category consists of retired elderly people, especially those aged between 60 and 75, whose stay time is the longest and they form the base market; the second category includes those who seek to escape heat or cold, traveling during weekends and paid vacations; the third category comprises freelancers, artists, and "digital nomads", who can work anywhere; the fourth category consists of young students on educational tours, such as those who go to painting villages for sketching.

Many people believe that traveling to the countryside is what "retiring to the countryside" means. However, Dai Bin discovered that the main areas where people go for travel are the surrounding areas of big cities, such as Yanqing and Huairou in Beijing, as well as some cities in the Yangtze River Delta region. The second type is remote tourist destinations, such as Yunnan and Guizhou.

How to promote the development of the tourism industry? Dai Bin believes that the first issue is the inter-regional mutual recognition of social security. "The biggest concern for the elderly is whether medical insurance can be used when they are ill? Young people worry about not being able to receive unemployment benefits if they temporarily stop working? Teenagers worry about how to solve their living needs when they stay in a place for a long time?" He said straightforwardly, "Local tourism policies should be based on life itself, rather than just being for the sake of attracting attention."

The next issue is that of grassroots governance. "The leadership of the Party and grassroots governance are the most crucial guarantees for the development of tourism," said Dai Bin. Localities can introduce investment institutions and market entities with tourism operation capabilities. When facing issues such as distribution of benefits and cultural conflicts, they need the grassroots governance wisdom like the "Fengqiao Experience" of the new era.

Make tourism services contribute to a better life.

In recent years, many popular tourist attractions have emerged across the country. Local cultural and tourism departments have tried various methods to make them "popular", or even strive to turn them into "long-lasting popularities". Dai Bin believes that in the development of tourism, efforts should be made in exploring cultural connotations and improving service quality, rather than always focusing on becoming a "hotspot".

Regarding the "internet celebrity spot-checking" phenomenon, Dai Bin called on local authorities to establish a correct view of tourism achievements. "A good tourist destination must be calm and deep, relying on quality to attract people. More importantly, it needs to provide regular sincerity and warmth."

Dai Bin hopes that all regions should focus their resources and efforts on understanding the needs of tourists. "What can most touch people's hearts is that I have you in my eyes, rather than you having me in yours. This is a very crucial change."

"A tourist destination is the sum total of the living environment." Dai Bin believes that in the process of creating a tourist destination, the three fundamental tasks of infrastructure, public services, and the business environment must be carried out consistently over the long term. "No matter how beautiful the scenery is, people still need to live. In tourism, one should not only appreciate the beauty of nature but also understand the beauty of culture and experience the beauty of life. Therefore, tourism development should return to the essence of life, responding to what people eat, what they do, how to meet their cultural needs and spiritual enjoyment."

The Tourism Law will undergo its third revision. Dai Bin believes that the key is to ensure the tourism rights of the people, so that every Chinese citizen can enjoy a "poetry and distant places" lifestyle. This should be the foundation and direction of the legislation. He is particularly concerned about the tourism rights of rural residents. "When city people go to the countryside for leisure and vacation, and rural people go to the cities for tourism and sightseeing, tourism should present a new pattern of two-way interaction."

Source: March 2nd issue of "People's Monthly" magazine, issue 5 of 2026

Editor | Liu Xin

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