Dai Bin | Culture leads technological innovation and strives to create a new development pattern for tourism groups

Respected Minister Hu Heping of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,

Dear Vice Mayor Wang Hong of Beijing Municipal People's Government,

Entrepreneurial friends,

At the critical moment of fighting poverty alleviation and achieving a comprehensive well-off society, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has set clear goals for the next five years and embarked on a new journey of building a socialist modernized country in all respects. Systematically studying the "Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 14th Five Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long Range Objectives for 2035" (hereinafter referred to as the "Proposal") and fully implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is currently the most important political task on the tourism front. On the occasion of the annual gathering of the top leaders of the national tourism industry, we spent two days collectively studying the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, exchanging and sharing the achievements and experiences of epidemic prevention and control and resumption of work in the tourism industry in the past year, analyzing and judging the development situation of the tourism industry in 2021 and the development ideas of the tourism group for the next five years. On the occasion of the closing of the forum, I would like to summarize the consensus and achievements on behalf of the organization.

1、 Further clarified the guiding ideology of the tourism industry in the new development stage

The Party and the state have always attached great importance to tourism work. Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Overseas Chinese Service Agency was established in Xiamen, which later became the China Travel Agency. It is responsible for receiving overseas Chinese who return to visit relatives and friends, business travel, and cultural exchanges, and providing travel services for Hong Kong and Macao compatriots traveling to and from the mainland and Taiwan compatriots traveling to and from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. In 1957, China International Travel Service was established to serve socialist countries such as the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, as well as friendly individuals towards China from around the world. During this period, the tourism industry mainly obeyed and served diplomatic work as a component of people to people diplomacy. The above two travel agencies, as well as the Hong Kong China Travel Service, which advocates for business and politics, have now become important components of state-owned tourism enterprises. In the early stage of reform and opening up, the tourism industry, which accelerated its development for foreign exchange earnings, began a market-oriented process, and tourism enterprises made great strides in the direction of commercialization and specialization. The seven day National Day holiday in 1999 marked China's entry into a new stage of mass tourism based on national consumption, providing a solid market foundation and strong development momentum for the market-oriented development of tourism enterprises. In 2009, the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Tourism Industry", which clearly proposed to "cultivate tourism industry into a strategic pillar industry of the national economy and a modern service industry that satisfies the people more", and clarified the strategic direction for the development of tourism industry. Looking back, whether it was inbound tourism in the first 20 years before the reform and opening up, or mass tourism in the second 20 years, both emphasized the economic attributes, especially the economic function of consumption driven growth. Marketization, commercialization, and specialization are also successful experiences in China's development from a tourism resource rich country to a tourism rich country, promoting the development of tourism enterprise groups.

In 2018, with the reform of central and national institutions, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was established, and the integration of culture and tourism has become a national strategy for the development of the tourism industry. The work requirement of the cultural and tourism system is to "integrate when appropriate, and integrate as much as possible; shape tourism with culture, and promote culture with tourism". In the past three years, the following viewpoint has formed a theoretical consensus: cultural construction and tourism development are both aimed at meeting the people's better life, big data has become a key breakthrough in linking the tourism market and cultural resources, and market entities represented by tourism groups are practitioners of cultural self-confidence and promoters of modern tourism industry. In the new stage of development, tourism should also play a greater role in promoting comprehensive human development and enhancing social civilization. It is the responsibility and commitment of the tourism industry to enable people to appreciate Chinese culture and enhance cultural confidence during their journey. This requires comrades on the tourism front to focus on strengthening cultural guidance, increasing the supply of high-quality products, improving service efficiency, continuously promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture, inheriting revolutionary culture, developing advanced socialist culture, and promoting the construction of a socialist cultural power in development planning and work deployment. At the mobilization meeting for the training course on systematically studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Minister Hu Heping proposed key tasks such as building a project to promote and enhance social civilization, and building a modern tourism industry system. This morning's opening speech elaborated on the new situation, new measures, and new requirements of the tourism industry in the new development stage.

As the eldest son of the Republic, the central and local state-owned tourism groups are faithful executors of the Party's line, principles, and policies, a resource integration platform that carries national and regional development strategies, and the foundation builders of the modern tourism industry system. Tourism groups, listed companies, and entrepreneurial and innovative enterprises driven by social capital and private capital are indispensable main forces in meeting people's needs for a better tourism life and promoting the high-quality development of the tourism industry. Whether it is the eldest son, the legitimate troops, or the main force, in the new stage of development, they must align with the national strategy and articulate their strategic mission and value orientation in the new context, thereby establishing a new image of the tourism group that is trusted by the central government, satisfactory to the people, and a benchmark in the industry. Such tourism groups should be political institutions that deeply implement and consciously practice the socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and strive for the people's dream of a moderately prosperous society in tourism. In this sense, we cannot just talk about business, but also about politics, consciously safeguarding ideological and cultural security, promoting civilized tourism and cultural confidence. Such tourism groups should be market entities guided by culture, supported by technology, and modernized by corporate legal principles. We cannot just talk about financial statements data such as resources, assets, employees, revenue, and profits, but also talk about big topics such as research and development investment, value creation, corporate culture, and corporate governance. Future tourism is no longer just a natural space, but also a living scene, a comprehensive and high-quality living scene from theaters to markets. Continuing to focus on traditional natural and historical resources, busy with star promotion, A application, and brand building, is impossible to truly expand, strengthen, and optimize the tourism group in the new development stage. After this epidemic, the tourism industry can no longer go back to the past. The trend of moving away from travel agencies, star rated hotels, and scenic spots may be worth considering. Don't jump up when you hear these statements, good medicine is good for the sick, comrades. Such tourism groups should promote local economic and social development, and foster an ecological system that promotes harmony and prosperity between humans and nature. Why do we pay attention to projects such as "Night at the Yellow Crane Tower", "Nanjing Wedding", "Drama Along the Way", and "Meeting to the East of the Forbidden City"? Because they activate the cultural resources of the city, enrich its image, and make the tourism industry more vibrant. Such a tourism group should be a business platform that can tell the story of China well, allow more international tourists to experience the beauty of traditional culture, the goodness of socialist advanced culture, promote international tourism exchanges, and promote tourism cooperation among Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. The determination of the country to develop inbound tourism has never wavered, and the Chinese Dream of national prosperity and people's happiness has injected new momentum into inbound tourism. The tourism administrative department is also studying policy reserves with foreign affairs, publicity, immigration, finance and other departments to promote the development of inbound tourism. Tourism groups should and must become the main force in revitalizing inbound tourism.

2、 Further strengthening the direction of the tourism industry in the new development stage

Adhere to cultural guidance, promote integrated development, and integrate into the new era of mass tourism and the new stage of well-off tourism. The 15 parts and 60 opinions of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China are all related to the development goals, work tasks, and environmental support of tourism, among which two directly mention tourism. Article 13 of Part Four: Accelerate the development of modern service industries such as health, elderly care, childcare, culture, tourism, sports, home economics, and property management. Article 34 of Part 9, "Improving the Modern Cultural Industry System," provides specific and rich explanations on the tourism supply system in the new development stage, including scenic spots, resorts, cities, neighborhoods, red tourism, rural tourism, telling the story of China well, and developing inbound and outbound tourism. Whether it is the development of a modern cultural industry system or a modern service industry system, it requires us to promote the great development of mass tourism and the new development of moderately prosperous tourism with greater efforts, and thus form a solid and strong domestic tourism market that supports the development of tourism groups. How big is this market? Our preliminary estimate is 10 billion visitors and 10 trillion yuan in consumption. Such a large market will definitely have spillover effects, and it cannot be satisfied solely by traditional formats such as travel agencies, hotels, and scenic spots. This requires us to further optimize the industrial structure, innovate product supply, promote high-quality development of the tourism industry, and better meet the needs of the people for a better life. In terms of integrated development, we need to have a more open mindset. Adding tourism is a new business model, and adding other industries is also a new business model. Today's tourism has become an important option in the daily lives of the general public. When tourists arrive at their destination, they enter the daily living spaces of urban and rural residents, without the pure daily living space of local citizens or the pure experience space of foreign tourists. The result is a space, a new space for a beautiful life shared by the host and guest. In this sense, when planning the development of the tourism industry, it is also necessary to plan for leisure consumption. The expansion of planning space for a better life for the people naturally extends the market space for enterprises.

Persist in technological innovation, upgrade smart tourism, and promote high-quality development of the tourism industry. The natural resources of mountains, rivers, and water, as well as the cultural resources of historical relics, have adapted to and promoted the tourism demand in the primary stage of inbound tourism and mass tourism. In the era of comprehensive prosperity, tourism will face new challenges such as personalized tourism demand, increasingly dispersed organizational methods, and more diversified industrial supply. Integration and digitization are becoming the dual characteristics of modern service industries, including tourism. So far, there are still many comrades who have not fully understood the concept of "a new space for sharing a better life between hosts and guests", and even have different views on "promoting the reduction of tickets for state-owned key scenic spots". I hope comrades can understand from a higher political perspective why we need to "make the people afford to play", why we need "more national participation and better quality sharing", and understand what modern service industry is and what the future is from a market-oriented perspective? Promoting smart tourism, strengthening the application of key technologies, creating shared living spaces and consumption scenarios for foreign tourists and urban and rural residents, and advancing the construction of new infrastructure such as 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence are the future. On this basis, we will innovate product systems such as red tourism, rural tourism, educational tourism, and specialized tourism, increase effective supply, high-quality supply, and flexible supply, improve public tourism services, enhance the quality of tourism services, and promote industry transformation and upgrading. If the 14th Five Year Plan of the tourism group does not see this point and does not focus on layout, it is likely to fall behind the development of the times. The tourism industry does not have any innate or unchanging main force. Whoever can align with the national tourism development strategy and maximize the satisfaction of people's new needs for a better tourism life is the main force and main force of the national tourism industry. If the glass wall between tourists and citizens has collapsed, the industrial boundary that separates traditional tourism enterprises from other types of market entities will eventually disappear. Always keep in mind whether the satisfaction of tourists is high or not, whether the competitiveness of market entities is strong or not, and whether the development momentum of industries is new or not, and implement them in market practice. The goal of high-quality development is not far away.

Persist in transformation and upgrading, promote the modernization of governance system and governance capacity, and build a strong tourism market entity. Without a strong tourism market entity, there will be no future for a tourism powerhouse, and the modern cultural industry system and modern service industry system will lose important support. In the past 40 years, through the reform of state-owned enterprises, the introduction of international investment and management brands, the transformation and entry of real estate and resource-based enterprises, and the entrepreneurship and innovation of "Internet tourism", we have initially established an industrial organization system suitable for the mass tourism market. The leading enterprises represented by the top 20 tourism groups and listed companies, the tourism accommodation industry represented by the top 60 tourism hotel groups, the travel service industry represented by the top 100 travel agencies, the tourism entertainment industry represented by 5A level tourist attractions and theme parks, as well as new formats such as tax exemption, catering, destination transportation, cultural creativity, etc., together constitute the ecological system of modern tourism industry. This is the development achievement of the forty years of reform and opening up, and also the commercial foundation for the construction of the modern tourism industry system. We should also recognize that compared to world-class tourism enterprises and service brands, as well as the expectations of tourist satisfaction and satisfaction, the reality of tourism groups being large but not strong, small and medium-sized enterprises having less brand influence, and small and micro enterprises having lower specialization are urgent issues that need to be addressed in the industry. The Party and the state attach great importance to the construction of market entities. Economic departments such as finance and banking, industry and information technology, development and reform, as well as the State owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the Federation of Industry and Commerce, have provided active support for the construction of market entities in the tourism sector. Local party committees and governments have put a lot of effort into creating a business environment and cultivating market entities, and have issued many effective documents. From the perspective of ownership, there is no such thing as "the state advancing and the people retreating", nor is there a problem of "the state retreating and the people advancing". Whether it is the "eldest son of the republic" or "one's own family", they are all necessary for the people's beautiful tourism life and are commercial entities that compete equally in the tourism market. From the perspective of enterprise scale, large state-owned tourism groups, specialized small and medium-sized enterprises, and entrepreneurial and innovative small and micro tourism enterprises should grow together, develop together, and share the market dividends of mass tourism and well-off tourism. In the future, we will face more open markets, competition from international enterprises, and localized competition with international tourism companies on the world stage. We must prepare ourselves in terms of ideology, capital, technology, culture, human resources, and brand building from now on, and reflect this in the formulation of the 14th Five Year Plan.

3、 Further planning has been made for the key tasks of the tourism industry in the new development stage

One is to promote the integrated development of culture and tourism. In the past three years, the cultural and tourism system has done a lot of foundational and long-term work in organizational structure, cadre allocation, development philosophy, work deployment, and practical guidance. We should also consider how to better enable tourists to experience the beauty of culture and enhance cultural confidence during their travels; How to promote the benefits of cultural undertakings and cultural industries through tourism development; How to strengthen the supervision of online and offline tourism markets, crack down on unreasonable low prices and deceiving customers, resist uncivilized tourism, and effectively enhance the sense of gain and satisfaction of tourists and community residents? Compared with the requirements of the central government and the expectations of the people, there is still a lot of room for improvement. In July of this year, a team from the China Tourism Research Institute conducted a large-scale survey and produced a special report titled 'How is the integration of culture and tourism? Listen to what tourists have to say'. Data from the front line shows that continuing to promote the true integration, deep integration, and broad integration of cultural undertakings, cultural industries, and tourism is still a daunting task. Only when tourism groups armed with socialist core values and advanced culture adhere to cultural undertakings and industries that integrate social and economic benefits, and work together towards a better life for the people, can the goal of high-quality development of cultural and tourism integration be truly achieved. We cannot slogan the requirements for the integrated development of culture and tourism determined by the central government, nor can we visualize the integrated development of culture and tourism through product level innovations such as tourism performances, scenic cultural creativity, and intangible cultural heritage routes. Cultural construction and tourism development are both aimed at satisfying the people's desire for a better life, which is an essential requirement centered on the people and a political demand. Only by relying on tourism groups as representatives of various levels and types of market entities can we achieve true integration, deep integration, and broad integration of culture and tourism, and improve the sense of gain and satisfaction of the people. By using big data as a breakthrough point and guided by social and economic benefits, we can reconstruct the tourism market and cultural resources, which may truly open up a realistic breakthrough point for the integration of culture and tourism.

The second is to build a number of world-class tourist attractions and resorts with rich cultural heritage. World class tourist attractions, such as Yellowstone National Park, British Museum, Provence, the Great Barrier Reef, Lan Kwai Fong, Universal Studios, Ocean World, and world-class tourist resorts, such as Hawaii, Phuket Island, Punt Cana, Disney, and the Mediterranean Club, are able to attract tourists from all over the world, and tourists from different countries, regions, and cultural backgrounds gather to form a "world-class" or "world-class" reputation through word of mouth. This requires us to learn from the experience of international tourism development with a diversified development and inclusive sharing mentality, in order to avoid policy innovations such as visa, visa on arrival, multi entry visa, online visa, etc., and facilitate tourists from all over the world to visit China. In project construction, it is not necessarily a big investment or development, but rather a development model that is environmentally friendly, socially consultative, and community shared. It can be large and comprehensive, or small and beautiful. In the implementation path, emphasis should be placed on both a proactive government and an efficient market. By 2025, to establish a leisure and vacation supply system with reasonable levels and strong support for a tourism powerhouse, it is inseparable from the joint efforts of tourism groups that connect financial capital and industrial capital, as well as the market-oriented operation of professional teams. This is a strategic opportunity for the tourism group to build a new development pattern, and it is also the mission and responsibility of the new development stage.

The third is to create a group of national level tourism and leisure cities and neighborhoods with distinctive cultural characteristics. Cities have multiple characteristics of tourist source areas, destinations, and distribution centers. Blocks, commercial districts, cultural centers, citizen parks, and suburban parks are important nodes and key supports for innovation in the tourism supply system. The city is ultimately the people's city, and urban construction and tourism utilization should implement the people-centered development concept to make people's lives happier. Only when the people born and raised here live happily, will tourists be willing to visit and have higher satisfaction and sense of gain. Tourism development, project construction, and market promotion around cities and neighborhoods should pay tribute to history, respect culture, and not innovate blindly for the sake of innovation. History and culture are the soul of a city. It is the historical responsibility of this generation of tourists to leave memories in the city and make people remember their homesickness. National level tourism and leisure cities cannot be exclusive to central cities, and small and medium-sized cities and county-level central cities also have the same admission tickets. The spatial layout of tourism groups should be targeted. National level tourism and leisure districts not only point to the past, but also to the future, and modern urban fashion districts can be included in our vision. World famous business districts and blocks, such as the Fifth Avenue in New York, Ginza in Tokyo, Champs Elysees in Paris, Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong, Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei, Nanjing Road in Shanghai, Tianhe Road in Guangzhou, Monument to the people's Liberation in Chongqing, Chunxi Road in Chengdu, are not only leisure spaces for local citizens to linger on, but also good places for foreign tourists to shop and relax. The research results of the cultural and tourism integration innovation project released yesterday afternoon include the transformation of Guangzhou Zhengjia Plaza from a shopping center to a tourism and leisure center. Whether it is a historical and cultural city, an ancient village or town, a historic district, a modern city, a satellite town, or a fashionable commercial district, as long as they inherit history and prosperous culture while developing the economy and society, they are all new spaces for a beautiful life shared by hosts and guests, and may become national level tourism and leisure cities and districts.

The fourth is to develop red tourism and rural tourism. Constructing national memory, carrying patriotism, protecting sites, relics, and heritage that embody the great revolutionary spirit, and integrating revolutionary spirits such as the Red Boat Spirit, Jinggangshan Spirit, Long March Spirit, Yan'an Spirit, etc. into the entire process and every aspect of red tourism are the guiding principles for the tourism industry in the new development stage. Tourism groups and market entities should make good use of red tourism data, tell good stories about red tourism, and attract more young people to approach red tourism scenic spots. We should be adept at utilizing investment, technology, culture, and market forces to make new contributions to the economic and social development of revolutionary old areas. After the comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society, rural tourism is not just about urban people going to the countryside to experience, but also about simple services and reception for rural people. It is not just about traditional activities such as seeing rapeseed flowers, staying in farmhouses, and picking fruits and vegetables. With the advancement of new urbanization and the new rural strategy, rural residents have become an emerging consumer force in the growing markets of self driving, leisure, study abroad, and parent-child tourism. The external consumption brought by citizens' rural tourism, the endogenous demand driven by farmers' urban migration and local leisure, together form the foundation of the rural tourism market. This will be a major trend in the development of rural tourism that will affect the market structure and supply mode in the next five years. The cultural and tourism system should actively contact the agricultural and rural departments, conduct in-depth research, and systematically grasp this major trend. The leaders of the tourism group should focus on the seventh part of the "Proposal" and combine the achievements of rural revitalization with the rural tourism market. Article 25 "Improving the quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of agriculture" clearly states: "Developing county-level economy and promoting the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas. Article 26, "Implementation of Rural Construction Action," requires: "Strengthening the comprehensive service capacity of county towns, building townships into regional centers serving farmers. Coordinating the planning and construction of county towns and villages, and protecting traditional villages and rural landscapes. These planning requirements will support the new development of rural tourism from multiple aspects such as optimizing the development environment, innovating development momentum, and expanding endogenous markets, and effectively expand the new development space of tourism groups.

The fifth is to focus on telling the story of China well, innovate and promote international communication, strengthen cultural exchanges with foreign countries, and promote dialogue among civilizations at multiple levels. It is the legal duty of cultural and tourism administrative departments, especially tourism promotion agencies, to strengthen foreign cultural publicity and tourism promotion and attract more foreigners, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, Taiwan compatriots and overseas Chinese to visit. Standing at the historical intersection of the "Two Centenary Goals", planning and deploying new strategies for inbound tourism certainly involves the task of expanding tourism service trade exports, as well as the responsibility of telling China's story, especially contemporary China's story, face to face. After the peak of inbound tourism in the 20 years before the reform and opening up, especially after the 2009 global financial crisis, inbound tourism has been relatively sluggish. For a considerable period of time, our tourism promotion focused on traditional culture and natural landscapes, with a lot of empty shots. When the country's borders were just opened, such narration was necessary and effective. The realization of the first centenary Chinese Dream allows tourists from all over the world to experience China's long history and magnificent mountains and rivers firsthand, as well as observe China's economic development, social progress, and cultural prosperity up close. In terms of discourse, we should use a language that the world can understand to narrate the topic of a community with a shared future for mankind. China is already the world's largest source of outbound tourism and tourism consumption market, and an important force influencing the development pattern of world tourism. Tourism groups should be adept at utilizing market logic, leveraging commercial power, and working together with overseas partners to improve service quality and maximize the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of outbound tourists. Strengthen cooperation with government tourism administrative departments in bilateral and multilateral cooperation platforms and international tourism organizations, promote tourism enterprises to go global, effectively expand industrial discourse power and international influence.

During the organization of previous forums, research reports, and special investigations, the research team has received active cooperation and professional support from nearly a hundred enterprises, including China Youth Travel Service Group. We sincerely thank you for this! The top 20 Chinese tourism groups that have received much attention are within the scope of the surveyed enterprises, and whether they are shortlisted is determined based on the annual turnover declared and stamped with the official seal by the enterprise legal representative. Some companies with the same revenue can be shortlisted together, and this year's threshold for shortlisting is a consolidated operating income of 7 billion yuan. The ranking is based on the ranking criteria approved by the State Council for provinces, municipalities directly under the central government, and autonomous regions, and is announced by name with reference to the city where the shortlisted enterprises are located, as well as the ownership and operating income of the holding enterprises. Now, please allow me, on behalf of the China Tourism Research Institute and the China Tourism Association, to release the top 20 list of China Tourism Group in 2020. They are: China Tourism Group Co., Ltd., Overseas Chinese Town Group Co., Ltd., Beijing Capital Tourism Group, Meituan, Caesar Shijia Tourism Culture Development Group, Hebei Tourism Group, Shanxi Culture and Tourism Investment Holding Group, Dalian Haichang Group, Jinjiang International (Group), Ctrip Group, Fosun Tourism Culture Group, Shanghai Spring and Autumn International Travel Agency (Group), Jingyu Donkey Mother Group, Nanjing Tourism Group, Tongcheng Tourism Group, Zhejiang Tourism Investment Holding Group, Hangzhou Business Travel Group, Kaiyuan Tourism Group, Mount Huangshan Tourism Group, Sunriver Holding Group, Fujian Province Tourism Development Group, Shandong Guoxin Cultural Tourism Development Group, Jiangxi Tourism Group Jianye Group, Hubei Provincial Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Guangzhou Lingnan International Enterprise Group, Zhuhai Jiuzhou Holdings Group, Shaanxi Tourism Group.

Salute to the forefront of the national tourism industry entering a new stage of development!

Salute to the tourists who strive tirelessly for a better life for the people!