Dai Bin | Build the ocean into a new strategic space for a strong tourism nation - Also on the new tourism concept of Hainan Province's "15th Five-Year Plan" development plan

On October 19, the 2024 Hainan Tourism Development Conference was held in Sanya. Liu Xiaoming, Governor of the Hainan Provincial People's Government, presided over the conference and Feng Fei, Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, delivered a speech. At the invitation of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Research Institute, gave a special report entitled "Building the Ocean into a New Strategic Space for a Tourism Powerhouse". The full text is shared below.

On May 17, 2024, the Central Committee held a national tourism development conference in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on tourism work, emphasizing that efforts should be made to improve the modern tourism system, accelerate the construction of a tourism power, and promote the steady and long-term high-quality development of the tourism industry. The ocean is a new strategic space for the construction of a tourism power, a basic resource and emerging market for the modern tourism system, and an important innovation direction for the national "15th Five-Year Plan" tourism industry plan and a key breakthrough for the Hainan Province "15th Five-Year Plan" development plan.

Tourism Power

Why do we need oceans?

China is both a land power and a maritime power, and has extensive maritime strategic interests. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the ocean and repeatedly stressed that "we must further care about the ocean, understand the ocean, and develop the ocean" and "build a strong maritime nation". On April 12, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Hainan: "my country is a maritime power with a vast sea area. We must march toward the ocean and accelerate the construction of a strong maritime nation." Although my country is the first major country in the world to develop and utilize the ocean and has the world's largest domestic tourism market, due to historical reasons, the national marine awareness is relatively weak, and marine rights and interests, including tourism, have not been effectively demonstrated. The development of marine tourism is conducive to expanding the resource base and market space, as well as cultivating the national marine awareness, building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, and expressing the claims of marine rights and interests with the flexibility of the private sector. In the new era, marine tourism should and can play a key role in establishing the national image, promoting exchanges and mutual understanding among the private sector, and conveying the national will.

Developing marine tourism is the construction experience of developed countries in the world, and it is also the meaning of tourism power. There are 150 island countries and coastal countries in the world, and there are 171 islands with an area of ​​more than 20,000 square kilometers. One-tenth of the world's population and one-eighth of urban residents live in coastal areas. Marine tourism resources are rich and the market space is broad. Tourism, oil and gas, fisheries and transportation are the four pillar industries for the development of the world's marine economy. Developed countries attach great importance to the role of tourism in marine strategy and make it a national will through medium- and long-term planning. Japan launched the "Marine Industry Cluster Plan" in 2002 and implemented the "Basic Law on the Ocean" in 2007, increasing the development of marine tourism resources and building the Sasebo Development Zone featuring marine tourism. Hokkaido and other places have become world-famous coastal tourist destinations and theme tourist resorts. South Korea regards tourism as an important part of marine development, forming a development pattern with Busan as the core, Seoul, Jeju, Gyeongju and other cities as support, and coastal areas as auxiliary. Southeast Asia is one of the focuses and hotspots of marine tourism in the world. Singapore's Sentosa, Malaysia's Johor, Thailand's Phuket and Pattaya, Indonesia's Bali, Jeddah Beach, Bintan Island, Philippines' Corregidor Island, Bohol Island, Vietnam's Halong Bay, etc. are all world-famous coastal tourist destinations. Whether in terms of popularity or economic indicators such as the number of foreign tourists received and tourism income, they all constitute first-mover advantages and cluster competition pressure for Sanya, Beihai and other regions. It is impossible to implement a catch-up strategy with latecomer advantages by relying solely on the government power of coastal provinces and cities, not to mention the power of local tourism departments. In the preliminary research and policy reserves of the "15th Five-Year Plan", it is necessary to elevate marine tourism to the national will from the dual perspectives of a strong maritime country and a strong tourism country, and the central government should coordinate the medium- and long-term development plan of "from land to sea, sea and land coordination" to reconstruct the tourism space pattern in the new era. In the process of building a strong tourism nation, we must also guide coastal provinces and cities such as Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Liaoning to strengthen the survey and market research of marine, island, and coastal tourism resources, benchmark against the world's marine and island powers such as the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South Pacific island countries, formulate specific special development plans and issue supporting policy documents.

The development of marine tourism will greatly expand the strategic space of a tourism power, and effectively promote the development of tourism resources, market expansion, industry extension and international exchanges. The eastern coastal areas of my country have a developed economy, active social and economic elements, and strong tourism consumption demand among residents. They are the most concentrated areas of tourism resources and tourism demand in my country, and the most active areas of tourism development elements and entrepreneurship and innovation. In general, the strategy of a strong marine country has realized the important role of tourism, but the construction of a strong tourism country has not yet formed a high-level and systematic marine strategy. The tourism department has not yet made preparations for theoretical research, data collection, resource surveys and development planning. Although some coastal provinces have realized the importance of marine tourism, Hainan Province, Zhoushan City, Ningbo City, and Qingdao City have held several global forums, carried out special research on islands and oceans, and realized the concept of marine tourism Introduction and practical exploration, some coastal cities have also initially acquired the reception capacity for leisure and vacation, but the national strategy for marine tourism has not yet formed a theoretical system, industrial planning and policy support. Whether it is resource development, project construction, or market promotion, the feature of "sea-sea similarity" is still quite obvious. Except for a few cities such as Sanya, seaside and island tourist destinations are mainly for enjoying sea breeze, sea view, sea bathing and eating seafood. From the supply side and policy side, due to the lack of cultural arrangement, market research and industry connection of coastal cities and their hinterlands, marine tourism is limited to the primary development of the seaside and offshore, resulting in the lack of obvious synergy effect of "land-sea linkage". During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the plan implements the marine tourism development strategy of "from land to sea, land-sea coordination, island-ocean linkage, and industrial matching", gives play to the demonstration and leading role of marine tourism in developed coastal cities, and releases the radiation to land and the extension effect to the sea. It will become the winning hand to break the resource constraints and improve the modern tourism industry system, and it is also a breakthrough in the national marine strategy.

The country needs to develop

What kind of ocean tourism?

The marine tourism strategy in the new era should meet the people's yearning for a better life in the process of Chinese modernization. Tourism is the basic right of the people and a way of life for the long-term survival of mankind. Marine tourism is especially desired by the people. Chinese modernization is a modernization that coordinates material and spiritual civilization. With the improvement of people's living standards and the enrichment of tourism experience, more tourists will go to the seaside for leisure, go to the islands for vacation, come to the offshore to participate in sports activities such as diving, surfing, sea fishing, and sailing, and also participate in ocean cruise tourism. Classic seaside tourist attractions such as Dalian Golden Stone Beach, Qinhuangdao Beidaihe, Yantai No. 1 Bathing Beach, Qingdao Stone Man, Beihai Silver Beach, Shenzhen Daxiaomeisha, Sanya Tianya Haijiao will still be the basic experience space for the people to participate in marine tourism. Putuo Mountain, Meizhou Island, Weizhou Island, Changdao-Miaodao, Dongshan Island, Penghu Islands, Shengsi Islands, and Chongming Island are still the basic resources for island tourism. We should also pay close attention to the island and reef resources in the South China Sea, which should also be included in the strategic vision of marine tourism. Cruises are a byproduct of ocean tourism. As "five-star hotels floating on the sea", they have become a new lifestyle for high-quality ocean vacations for the general public. With the accelerated construction of cruise ports in Shanghai, Qingdao, Sanya, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, and the improvement of their operational levels, there will be more international cruise routes starting, ending, and docking to meet the people's growing new demand for cruise tourism.

The marine tourism strategy of the new era should build a new spatial pattern of a tourism power with "land-sea linkage and three-dimensional travel". The product design, project planning and industrial chain extension of marine tourism should fully consider the current social and economic development status of coastal cities and their hinterlands, and drive the development of marine tourism in the radiated areas by relying on the advantages of urban tourist sources and industrial innovation. Through the development of marine tourism, it will drive the industrial upgrading and structural optimization of cities adjacent to the coast, and promote the protection of the ecological environment and cultural heritage. Relying on the developed economic and social foundation of coastal areas, focusing on their advantages in market, resources and factor agglomeration, planning and building "one belt and two zones", namely the national marine tourism development belt, coastal tourism extension zone, and marine tourism radiation zone. Through air and sea routes, coastal high-speed transportation networks and inland routes such as the Yangtze River, Pearl River, and the Grand Canal, the Bohai Bay, the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, the West Coast Tourism Zone, and the Qiongzhou Strait will be connected in series, forming a new three-dimensional travel pattern with city cruise ships, inland yachts, sea cruises, highways, high-speed railways and aviation routes supporting each other.

The marine tourism strategy of the new era should improve the modern tourism system and promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry. Marine tourism development takes into account the multi-dimensional coupling of coastal, offshore, mid-sea, offshore, sea and air, island, sea surface, seabed, as well as marine space, seasonal changes, tourism products, equipment manufacturing, etc., making marine tourism not only a new demand and new market, but also a new supply and new format. Unlike the time and space extension of night tourism, ice and snow tourism and food tourism that have emerged in recent years, marine tourism covers a wide range and integrates many elements. It should be embedded with national strategies such as a strong maritime country, a strong tourism country, a strong science and technology country, and a strong manufacturing country, so as to form a modern marine tourism system of collaborative innovation. In the process of market promotion and industrial innovation, we should attach great importance to the leading role of travel agents in market perception, tourist attraction, product research and development, and quality assurance; attach great importance to the agglomeration and driving role of heavy asset projects such as marine theme parks, island tourism resorts and coastal tourism and leisure in capital, technology and talent aggregation; attach great importance to the integrated development of infrastructure such as railways, shipping, aviation, and highways with tourism. We should promote the high-end equipment manufacturing industries such as cruise yachts, sea fishing equipment, offshore helicopters, and satellite navigation through the expansion of tourism consumption, and further strengthen the discipline construction and professional talent training of marine tourism. It is impossible and unnecessary to develop marine tourism in a one-size-fits-all manner. Instead, we should follow the development law of "node-area-chain axis-cluster", select the core areas and key cities of the marine tourism development belt, and cultivate cities such as Sanya, Haikou, Beihai, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Shanghai, Qingdao, Tianjin, and Dalian into extreme areas that radiate and drive the development of marine tourism. In combination with national and regional development strategies, we should give full play to the enthusiasm and initiative of coastal cities, make good use of marine, fishery, transportation, shipbuilding, development and reform, finance, finance, and tourism policies, and develop marine tourism resources in sequence from point to surface, from near to far.

The marine tourism strategy of the new era should cultivate a green, humanistic and peaceful marine lifestyle. As mass tourism enters a new stage of comprehensive development, whether it is land tourism or marine tourism, we will adhere to the concept of sustainable development and advocate the concept of green tourism consumption. The development of marine tourism must answer the question of the times of protection and utilization, and must not be at the expense of the environment. To develop marine tourism, we must study and implement Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization, Xi Jinping's cultural thoughts and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on tourism and marine work, do a good job in the resource development, infrastructure construction, tourism routes, equipment manufacturing and research and development planning of marine tourism, develop seaside, island tourism and cruise tourism, pay attention to the creative inheritance and innovative development of excellent traditional culture, and use modern technology and excellent literary and artistic works to improve the quality of marine tourism. Marine tourism is open, inclusive and international. Domestic tourists will go out and overseas tourists will come in; international cruise ships, resort hotels, theme parks, shopping villages will be introduced, and China's tourism infrastructure construction will also go out. In the process of promoting the reform of systems and mechanisms for the in-depth integration of culture and tourism, the tourism industry should consciously implement global development initiatives, global security initiatives and global civilization initiatives, be guided by common values, tell China's ocean story well, and contribute Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese practices to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Hainan Tourism Development

Where is the strategic breakthrough?

In December 2009, the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Promoting the Construction and Development of Hainan International Tourism Island" (Guofa [2009] No. 44). Since then, the tourism development of Hainan Province has been included in the national strategic system, and favorable policies for the development of Hainan tourism have continued to be released. In June 2020, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port", which has constructed the top-level design and underlying logic of institutional innovation and market innovation for Hainan to build an international tourism consumption center with global influence. Influenced by favorable policies, with the strong support of the central and state organs, and under the strong leadership and scientific deployment of the provincial party committee and government, Hainan's tourism development has achieved remarkable achievements, ranking 7th in the global island tourism competitiveness, and has formed a number of experiences and models worth summarizing in Hainan's exploration of the development path of tourism with Chinese characteristics. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Hainan tourism should further play the role of the first pillar industry. On the basis of "island tourism", focusing on marine economy, marine culture, and the Hainan strategy at sea, it will vigorously develop marine tourism in the planning of building a world-class tourist resort, and integrate it into the national strategy at a higher level, leading the high-quality development of the tourism industry at a higher level.

Haikou will be cultivated into a new highland of marine tourism theory, a source of practice and a leader in the industry. The development of marine tourism requires theoretical guidance, as well as data, technology and talent support. Haikou has government think tanks, research institutes and professional colleges such as the China South China Sea Research Institute, the Hainan Research Institute of Ocean University of China, the Hainan Tourism Development Research Institute, Hainan University, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya Sino-Swiss Hotel Management Vocational College, and Hainan Tourism School. Haikou is the core area of ​​Hainan's free trade port with Chinese characteristics, an important carrier of "two bases (headquarters bases for Chinese companies to go to the international market and headquarters bases for foreign companies to enter the Chinese market)", "two networks (air-sea international transportation network and international economic and trade cooperation network)", and "two hubs (international shipping hub of the Western Land-Sea Corridor and aviation regional gateway hub facing the Pacific and Indian Oceans)", and is also the core area of ​​the Qiongzhou Strait Integrated High-quality Development Demonstration Zone and the Qiongbei Economic Circle. By the end of 2023, the number of existing business entities in Haikou has reached 2.63 million, accounting for 69.66% of the province, and 70% of Hainan's travel agencies are also registered in Haikou. Haikou has the conditions to become, and should become, a base for marine tourism theory research and policy innovation, a base for cultivating professional talents, and a base for marine tourism industry R&D and entrepreneurial innovation incubation, leading the new development of national marine tourism from both development theory and industrial practice.

Cultivate Sanya and the eastern coastal cities and counties into national diplomatic venues, island lounges, and world-class tourist resorts. From a national resort to an international tourist destination and a world tourism resort, it is the strategic mission entrusted to Sanya by the country, and it is also a strategic issue that Hainan must answer and must answer well. The construction of the Greater Sanya tourism circle effectively connects the development of the Gold Coast of eastern coastal countries, the Central Tropical Rainforest National Park, and the Western Tourism Alliance. The South China Sea Museum in Hainan, China is accelerating the development and exhibition of world-class archaeological discoveries in the South China Sea. Significant achievements have been made in the institutional integration and innovation of new marine tourism formats in cities such as Wenchang, Qionghai (Boao), and Wanning. The China Tourism Research Institute (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) is willing to strengthen strategic cooperation with Sanya City and pragmatically promote the implementation of projects such as the Silk Road Tourism City Alliance, the World Travel Business Conference, the Night Economic Forum, and the Tourism Data Center.

Sansha will be included in the 15th Five-Year Plan for the development of the national tourism industry, and will be built into a world-class marine tourism city with the largest land area. Sansha is the youngest prefecture-level city in my country with the largest land area. It governs the islands and reefs of the Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands and their waters, with a land and sea area of ​​about 2 million square kilometers. Sansha City has Xisha District and Nansha District, and governs 10 communities. It has beautiful islands and reefs such as Yongxing Island, Quanfu Island, Qilianyu, and Beijiao, with beautiful scenery. It has the resource base, industrial potential, and governance conditions for the development of low-involvement marine tourism. The China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) is willing to jointly build observation points and laboratories with Sansha City. On the basis of special research, we will jointly promote island and reef tourism, cruise and yacht tourism, low-altitude tourism, and special marine tourism into the national tourism development plan, and jointly build a sustainable tourism research base.

Hainan will be built into a bridgehead from land to sea and a demonstration area for "three-dimensional travel". The construction of Hainan's 2.0 version of the island-circling tourism highway is accelerating, and the interconnection routes with ASEAN cruise ships continue to increase. The important exchange platform of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" has achieved fruitful results. During the "15th Five-Year Plan", Hainan will enter a new stage of closed-border operation of the free trade port, and its connection with the world will be closer, and the effects of tourism-related policies will be released in a concentrated manner. International routes, aviation ports and general airport construction, low-altitude economy, island-circling railways, high-speed stations, infrastructure and tourism will be integrated and developed on a larger scale, deeper degree and higher level. The "three-dimensional travel" transportation system will provide more personalized travel options for residents in the mainland and overseas, and the modern tourism governance system and governance capabilities based on the deepening of reform and opening up will lead the development direction of national marine tourism.

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