Ministry of Culture and Tourism: In 2025, the number of domestic travelers was 6.52 billion, and the total cost was 6.3 trillion yuan, all of which reached a record high
The Zhitong Finance App learned that on September 24, the Information Office of the State Council held a series of press conferences on the theme of “Starting with the 15th Five-Year Plan” series to introduce the situation relating to promoting high-quality development of culture and tourism during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period. Wang Jianhua, press spokesman and vice-minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, explained that during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, cultural and tourism development achieved remarkable results. By the end of 2025, there were 3,253 public libraries, 7,188 registered museums, nearly 44,000 mass cultural institutions, 1,557 representative national intangible heritage projects, and 3,994 representative inheritors. In 2025, the national cultural industry achieved revenue of 20.8 trillion yuan, an average annual increase of 8.4% during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period; in 2025, the number of domestic travelers was 6.52 billion yuan, with a total cost of 6.3 trillion yuan, all of which reached record highs; in 2025, the number of commercial shows nationwide reached 640,000, with box office revenue of 61.6 billion yuan, an increase of more than 6% over the previous year.
Wang Jianhua also said that China has become the largest source of visitors and the main destination for international tourism. According to statistics, in 2025, the number of inbound tourists reached 154 million, an increase of 17.1% over the previous year; the number of outbound tourists from mainland residents reached 148 million, an increase of 20.8% over the previous year. Next, we will work with relevant departments to continuously improve the inbound tourism service system, improve the level of facilitation in terms of visas, payment, tax refunds, guided tours, accommodation, transportation, etc., launch more inbound tourism products that blend tradition and modernity, and further develop “Hello! Overseas promotion of the “China” national tourism image makes it more convenient for visitors to China, more comfortable to stay, more memorable, and experience the development vitality of contemporary China up close. At the same time, we will attach great importance to the safety and protection of the rights and interests of outbound tourists, continue to provide risk warnings and reminders for outbound tourist destinations, and cooperate with relevant departments to do a good job of consular protection.
The transcript is as follows:
Zhou Jianshe, Deputy Director of the Information Bureau and press spokesman of the Information Office of the State Council:
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council. Today, we will continue to hold a series of press conferences on the theme of “Starting with the 15th Five-Year Plan”. We invite Mr. Wang Jianhua, press spokesperson and vice-minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to introduce the situation related to promoting high-quality development of culture and tourism during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period and answer everyone's concerns. Also attending today's press conference were Mr. Chen Binbin, press spokesperson and general director of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Mr. Miao Muyang, director of the Department of Industrial Development; and Mr. Man Hongwei, director of the Department of Resource Development.
Now let's ask Mr. Wang Jianhua to give an introduction.
Wang Jianhua, press spokesman and vice-minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism:
Good morning to all media friends! Thank you all for your long-term interest and support for cultural and tourism work. I am very happy to share with you the situation relating to the promotion of high-quality development of culture and tourism during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period.
During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, cultural and tourism development achieved remarkable results. As President Xi Jinping mentioned many times in his New Year message, the cultural tourism market is very popular, the holiday tourist crowd is surging, the “village night” is full of energy, and the cultural, expo, and intangible heritage fever continues to heat up. Ancient charm and national style have become a “top aesthetic” in the eyes of young people, and Chinese culture has shone more brightly. This vividly illustrates the accelerated integration and flourishing development of culture and tourism. Here I'm sharing a brief set of data with you. By the end of 2025, there were 3,253 public libraries, 7,188 registered museums, nearly 44,000 mass cultural institutions, 1,557 representative national intangible heritage projects, and 3,994 representative inheritors. In 2025, the national cultural industry achieved revenue of 20.8 trillion yuan, an average annual increase of 8.4% during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period; in 2025, the number of domestic travelers was 6.52 billion yuan, with a total cost of 6.3 trillion yuan, all of which reached record highs; in 2025, the number of commercial shows nationwide reached 640,000, with box office revenue of 61.6 billion yuan, an increase of more than 6% over the previous year.
The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made arrangements to promote the construction of a strong cultural nation and a strong tourism nation, and the “Outline” of the national “15th Five-Year Plan” also put forward new requirements for the development of culture and tourism. In order to implement these arrangements and requirements, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism organized and prepared the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Culture and Tourism”, the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Strong Tourism Country”, as well as special plans for art development, construction of a public cultural service system, protection and inheritance of intangible heritage, and cultural industry development. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will organize and implement these plans to promote the deep integration of cultural tourism as the main line, and promote the high-quality development of cultural undertakings, cultural industries, and tourism in an integrated manner. The focus will be on the following five areas:
First, promote artistic creation and production. Literature and art are the trumpet for the advancement of the times. They best represent the style of an era, and can best lead the culture of an era. We will adhere to the people-centered creative orientation, implement the New Era Art Creation Guidance Plan and the National Art Collection Plan, organize major theatrical performances by the Party and the country, carry out artistic creations on major themes, reflect the climate of the times, inspire the national spirit, and better meet the cultural needs of the masses. Adhere to the combination of achievements and talents, focus on works and focus on the environment, improve the production service, guidance, and organization mechanisms for artistic creation, respect the rules of creation, stimulate creative vitality, and create a good artistic ecosystem where people produce their works.
Second, strengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage carries the genes and blood of the Chinese nation. We must uphold the spirit of reverence for history and love culture, promote systematic protection and unified supervision of cultural heritage, improve institutional mechanisms for cultural heritage protection and inheritance, promote cultural heritage surveys, strengthen archaeological excavation, research and interpretation, and better continue the Chinese context. It is necessary to strengthen the inheritance and utilization of cultural heritage, and rely on museums, intangible heritage museums, cultural relics protection units, archaeological site parks, scenic spots, etc., to launch more cultural relics tours, intangible heritage experiences, boutique exhibitions, Guochao culture and creativity, immersive exhibitions, etc., to tell cultural heritage stories vividly and vividly.
Third, improve public services for culture and tourism. Improving public services is an intrinsic requirement for protecting people's cultural and tourism rights and improving people's quality of life. We will insist on benefiting the people, making up for shortcomings and weaknesses, improving service levels, so that the masses can enjoy a fuller, richer, and higher quality spiritual and cultural life. Continuously optimize the network of public cultural facilities, implement actions to improve the quality and efficiency of public cultural services, and clear direct channels for high-quality cultural resources to the grassroots level. Continuously improve public service facilities such as tourist service centers, tourist toilets, parking lots, transportation networks, and signs to continuously enhance people's travel experience.
Fourth, accelerate the development of the culture and tourism industry. The integration of culture and tourism has amplified the long and driving characteristics of their respective industries, and has played a comprehensive driving role of “one industry thrives, all industries flourish”. It is necessary to promote intelligence, greening, and integration, improve growth, revitalize stocks, innovate business formats, enrich supply, and cultivate the cultural industry and tourism industry into pillar industries, people's production industries, and happy industries. Insist on “being able to live” and “manage well” to create a good business environment and stimulate the vitality of business entities. At the same time, we will deepen “cultural tourism+100 industries” and “100 industries+cultural tourism”, promote diverse integration of cultural tourism and sporting events, business district renewal, park upgrading, etc., enrich business formats, gather popularity, and actively consume, and add more “cultural flavor” and “fireworks” to economic and social development.
Fifth, deepen cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation. Culture and tourism is an important bridge to promote civilizational exchanges and mutual appreciation. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will thoroughly implement the Global Civilization Initiative, establish a network of dialogue and cooperation, carry out extensive cultural exchanges and cooperation, absorb and learn from the world's outstanding civilizational achievements, and promote exchanges, mutual learning and harmonious coexistence among civilizations. We will enrich forms of cultural exchange, continue to organize activities such as “Happy Spring Festival”, and make good use of digital, networked, and intelligent carriers to make Chinese culture more accessible. Deeply implement inbound tourism promotion plans to raise the level of facilitation and internationalization of inbound tourism, so that Chinese and foreign people can enhance understanding and deepen friendship in your travels.
Let me give you a brief introduction to these first. My colleagues and I would like to have further exchanges and communication with everyone on the issues that our journalists and friends are concerned about. Thank you.
Zhou Jianshe:
Thank you, Mr. Wang Jianhua, for the introduction. Now please raise your hands to ask.
China Central Radio and Television News Center Reporter:
We all know that at present, the desire of ordinary people to go out for leisure and play is constantly increasing, and culture and tourism are also receiving more and more attention. What aspects should we focus on in promoting high-quality development of culture and tourism during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period? What are the highlights and highlights? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
Thank you for your question, I'll answer that question. Looking ahead to the “15th Five-Year Plan”, overall, our country's economy is improving for a long time, social harmony and stability, people's need for a better life is growing, and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence have accelerated application transformation. These have all provided solid support and added new momentum to the development of our culture and tourism. Therefore, when planning to promote the high-quality development of culture and tourism in the “15th Five-Year Plan”, we focus on grasping the following four aspects, which can be summarized as “four highlights.”
The first aspect is the focus of development, which will highlight the main line of deep integration of cultural tourism. Cultural tourism integration is one of the main lines and highlights of cultural tourism development in recent years. Cultural tourism integration has enriched products, business formats, and consumption scenarios, not only making tourism more attractive, but also making cultural spirit and values effectively disseminated. In the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will deepen cultural and plastic tourism and promote the integrated development of culture and tourism on a wider scale, at a deeper level, and at a higher level. On the one hand, we need to thoroughly explore and explain the value of advanced socialist culture, revolutionary culture, and outstanding traditional Chinese culture. Using tourism as a carrier, we can promote the spirit of the times contained in it, so that the red blood and red genes can be better and continuously passed on, so that the red blood and red genes can be better and continuously passed on, so that excellent traditional culture can be integrated into modern life and revitalized with new vitality. On the other hand, we need to enhance the cultural content of tourism throughout the whole chain, create tourism products such as scenic spots and resorts with distinctive cultural characteristics, and develop culturally rich tourism, catering, lodging, transportation, and entertainment services.
The second aspect is that in terms of development goals, emphasis will be placed on improving people's quality of life. The “Outline” of the national “15th Five-Year Plan” takes “continuous improvement of people's quality of life” as one of its main goals. At present, China's per capita gross domestic product is close to 14,000 US dollars. Efforts are being made to move from a middle-income country to a middle-developed country, and the people aspire to a higher quality, happier and better life. Culture and tourism are important elements of a high quality of life. As this reporter friend just said, now people appreciate art and cultural consumption by watching shows, exhibitions, etc., enjoy spectacular mountains and rivers, and experience local customs through tourist vacations, and are becoming the first choice for more and more people to relax. Through high-quality development of culture and tourism, we should strive to provide more high-quality and rich products and more meticulous and thoughtful services to help improve people's quality of life and enhance people's sense of attainment and happiness.
The third aspect is that in terms of development path, digital intelligence empowerment and informatization transformation will be highlighted. Giving full play to the leading role of science and technology and promoting the development of digital intelligence is one of the most prominent features of the “Outline” of the national “15th Five-Year Plan”. We will follow the trend of information technology development, accelerate digital intelligence empowerment and informatization transformation, promote profound changes in the way culture is created and disseminated, and the way tourism is consumed and experienced, enhance development momentum, and enhance quality and efficiency. It is necessary to prosper and develop new popular literature and art under the Internet, give full play to the creative spirit of the masses, and transform the masses from viewers and consumers of literature and art to creators, disseminators, and sharers.
The fourth aspect is that in terms of functional positioning, it will focus on empowering economic and social development. Empowering economic and social development through culture is an important arrangement made in the “Outline” of the country's “15th Five-Year Plan”. The power of culture and tourism to economic and social development is reflected in many dimensions. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will strengthen systematic planning and coordination, promote the integration and mutual promotion of culture and tourism with various industries and fields, play an enabling role, and help high-quality development. For example, integration with manufacturing can enhance the design level and added value of products and promote industrial culture and craftsmanship; for example, integration with commerce can promote the expansion of the functions of traditional business districts and create comprehensive consumption spaces; furthermore, integrating culture and tourism into urban development and beautiful rural construction can not only enhance aesthetic appeal, improve the living environment, but also cultivate civilized culture and promote grassroots governance.
I'll just introduce these, thank you all.
China Culture Daily reporter:
In recent years, a series of wonderful performances and exhibitions have boosted the popularity of dance dramas, operas, and watching exhibitions. How to further strengthen artistic creation and production during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period and continue to launch more outstanding works of art? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
I ask Comrade Chen Binbin to answer this question.
Chen Binbin, press spokesperson and general director of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism:
Thank you for your question. Good works of art often reach people's hearts and give people strength to move forward. There have been some wonderful shows over the past few years, and after watching them, we can't forget them for a long time. For example, “Justice Must Win”, a theatrical gala commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression last year, evoked strong social repercussions and a high level of emotional resonance; for example, the dance drama “Only Green Green” has performed nearly 1,000 shows in the past 5 years, with a total box office revenue of over 780 million yuan, and is still hard to find; there are also masterpieces such as Yue opera “New Dragon Gate Inn” and the Wu opera “Three Dozen White Bone Essence”, which brought a new splendor to traditional culture, and was loved by the audience, especially young audiences. This also fully shows that as long as works of art are of excellent quality, they can win the audience and the market. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will keep up with the times, grasp the needs of the masses, and strive to guide the creation of more and better works of art. Focus on three areas to do a good job:
The first is to further enhance the quality. We must continue to serve the overall development of the Party and the country, and organize major theatrical performances around important points in time. We will implement the New Era Art Creation Guidance Plan and actions to improve the quality of stage art. We will also carry out the construction of an artistic creation question bank, strengthen planning and investment in the creation of major themes, and promote artistic creation to the peak. Starting this year, we will implement a three-year action plan to revitalize drama, which will highlight “script first”. The main thing is to balance the incubation of original works with the revitalization of traditional classics, support the creation and performance of rare dramas, and establish a special support mechanism for small and medium-sized repertoire. It will give full play to the leading role of literary and artistic criticism in the quality of creation, and continuously improve art award mechanisms such as the Mandarin Award.
The second is to make art more grounded. Nowadays, everyone can often see that many professional art groups and artists perform at the grassroots level, broadcast live on mobile phones and new media, and even go directly to parks and plazas to participate in cultural events, so that more viewers can enjoy shows and programs that were previously only visible in theaters on their doorstep or mobile phones. Over the next five years, we will continue to expand art communication channels, push more outstanding works of art to reach the grassroots level and the masses, promote the popularization of art, and promote aesthetic education for all. We will also further coordinate exhibitions and festivals such as the China Art Festival and the 100 Opera Festival, as well as resources such as art exhibitions, strengthen the construction of communication platforms, and focus on more new forms of art communication.
The third is to make the mechanism more flexible. There have been many major shows in recent years, and the main creators are already “post-80s” and “post-90s.” We will respect the rules of talent growth, improve the selection, training, use, and incentive mechanisms for artistic talents, focus on strengthening talent cultivation for screenwriters, directors, performance, music, stage art, business management, etc., and build more platforms for communication and display, so that every love and talent can be unleashed. We will also further improve the mechanism for the construction and development of arts troupes, give full play to the advisory, supervisory and guiding role of the Art Committee, and at the same time deepen cooperation between art creation units and art colleges, and promote the deep integration of art teaching and art practice.
I'll just introduce these, thank you.
Taiga Finance Cube Reporter:
In recent years, the share of the cultural industry in the national economy has been rising steadily, and its role in economic and social development is becoming more and more obvious. What are the next steps to focus on to further promote the development of the cultural industry? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
Comrade Miao Muyang was invited to answer this question.
Miao Muyang, Director of the Industrial Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism:
Thank you for your question. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the development of China's cultural industry achieved a new leap forward. I used a set of data to describe it. In 2024, the value added of the cultural industry will account for more than 4.6% of GDP. In 2025, the total assets of the national cultural industry reached 37.4 trillion yuan and achieved operating income of more than 20 trillion yuan, an increase of 36.5% and 49.6% respectively over 2020. As Vice Minister Jianhua mentioned earlier, during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will adhere to the principles of both “being able to live” and “manage well”, cultivate new development momentum through cultural creativity, technological innovation, and industrial integration, and promote a leap forward in the scale, overall strength, and comprehensive benefits of the cultural industry. We will focus our efforts on the following four areas:
The first is to strengthen the drive for innovation. Strengthen support for original content, promote industries such as performing arts, animation, creative design, arts and crafts to enhance their ability to be original, and launch thoughtful, warm, and high-quality cultural products. Promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and develop and expand new business formats such as digital animation, digital art, and immersive exhibitions. Dig deeper into the contemporary value of outstanding traditional culture, vigorously develop brand licensing, and provide more Guochao cultural and creative products that meet modern consumer needs.
The second is to unleash consumption potential. Continue to implement the “100 Cities, 100 Districts” and “100 Cities and 1000 Stations” cultural and tourism consumption action plans, carry out a series of activities to promote consumption for the benefit of the people, actively develop the initial economy, nighttime economy, and ticket economy, innovate and create new consumption scenarios such as special performing arts and Guochao Market, and focus on meeting the diverse and high-quality cultural needs of the masses. Services such as ticket reservations and transportation are optimized for the elderly, children, etc., to make cultural consumption more suitable, more convenient, and more relaxed.
The third is to deepen integration and collaboration. Give full play to the comprehensive driving role of the cultural industry, actively promote the development of cities and businesses with culture, and help urban renewal and industrial upgrading. Innovate cultural tourism, sports and business integration models to revitalize existing space resources such as old factories and neighborhoods. Examples include Beijing's Shougang Garden, Shanghai's West Bank, and Memories of the Eastern Suburbs of Chengdu, etc., all of which have been implanted in rich cultural forms and achieved renewed development. Continue to promote the cultural industry to empower rural revitalization, cultivate a “small but beautiful” cultural tourism industry in the countryside according to local conditions, so that the masses are both “rich in pockets” and “rich in head.” In order to strengthen comprehensive demonstration leadership, we will build about 100 national cultural and tourism industry development demonstration zones (units) in two batches.
The fourth is to promote culture overseas. Over the past few years, Nana, Goku, Rabbu, and Wakuku have become popular overseas, and the “new three” types of culture such as online articles, online dramas, and online games are loved by overseas consumers. We will act as good escorts for cultural enterprises to sail overseas, build trade platforms, strengthen service carriers, promote project connections, promote Chinese goodies such as animation, performing arts, trendy entertainment, arts and crafts, stage equipment, games and amusement equipment, etc., to go overseas faster, and achieve a sharp rise in the quantity and quality of cultural trade.
I'll just introduce these, thank you.
Pengpai News Reporter:
Not long ago, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the “15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Strong Tourism Country”. We would like to know what favorable conditions are currently in place for China to build a strong tourism country? What tasks and measures will be implemented during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period to promote the development of the tourism industry? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
Please ask Comrade Man Hongwei to answer this question.
Man Hongwei, Director of the Resource Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism:
Thank you for your question. Accelerating the construction of a strong tourism nation is a major decision and arrangement made by the Party Central Committee. Moving from a major tourist country to a tourism powerhouse is a major leap forward in the development stage of China's tourism industry. To build a strong tourism country, our country has good basic conditions and outstanding comparative advantages.
The first is resource advantage. China has diverse natural ecology, rich history and culture. It has a large number of World Heritage sites and projects on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. The tourism resources are rich, diverse, and unique. They have both natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. The second is infrastructure advantages. China has built the world's largest high-speed rail network and highway network. The mobile communication network covers urban and rural areas, and the continuous improvement of tourism infrastructure makes “poetry and distance” no longer far away. The third is market advantage. China has the largest domestic tourism market in the world, and is also one of the most important destinations for international tourism. It has built a tourism supply system with a huge number, rich variety, and active innovation. The next step is to continuously promote the transformation of these comparative advantages into development advantages and into beautiful travel experiences that Chinese and foreign tourists can feel.
As a mission book and road map to promote the construction of a powerful tourism nation, the “Plan” lays out a series of key tasks and initiatives. Here I will briefly summarize the three aspects:
First, optimize the space layout. Space is the vehicle for travel. We will continue to promote the optimal allocation of resource elements on a wider scale to achieve close linkage and coordinated development between regions. According to resource conditions, it is based on cultural corridors, geographical corridors, and transportation corridors to clarify the differentiated development direction of the East, Central, Western, and Northeast regions. Focusing on the collaborative development of urban and rural areas, we have laid out 32 tourist hub cities, 33 key tourist cities, and 23 special tourist destinations. We will also focus on developing county tourism and cultivating more famous tourist counties and “treasure towns”. For the first time, the “Plan” lays out arrangements to expand marine tourism space, clearly proposing the construction of a marine tourism belt connecting the north and south, and constructing a series of products from offshore tourism and coastal leisure to island tourism, cruise yachts, etc., so that being friendly to the sea, enjoying the sea, and lehai can become a new “blue ocean” for tourism development.
Second, promote kinetic energy conversion. The key to transforming and upgrading the tourism industry is to cultivate and expand new momentum for development and continuously shape new advantages. First, it is necessary to promote the deep integration of cultural tourism, enrich the content of tourism with high-quality cultural content, improve the quality of tourism, and innovate forms of tourism. The second is to develop smart tourism, use digital and intelligent means to actively develop new products, new scenarios, and new spaces, and continuously improve industry governance capabilities and comprehensive management levels. The third is to adhere to green development, coordinate protection and development, make rational use of tourism resources, and promote green consumption, so that the concept “green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains” can be more widely implemented in the field of tourism.
Third, enrich high-quality supply. We will meet the diverse and individualized needs of the masses, guide all regions based on resource endowments, adapt to local conditions, promote collaborative development of sightseeing, leisure and vacation, develop and build a number of urban leisure and rural vacation products shared by the host and guests, promote the upgrading and renewal of tourist attractions, resorts, rural tourism, and red tourist attractions, expand the integrated tourism industry, and launch new products that focus on experience and empathy, so that visitors can relax and reap emotion from the experience. At the same time, we will also continue to optimize inbound tourism products and services, so that more foreign tourists can better experience “Chinese” hospitality and experience a trustworthy, lovely, and respectable China firsthand.
I'll just introduce these, thank you.
Poster News Reporter:
The “intangible heritage fever” has continued to heat up over the past few years, and more and more young people are fond of intangible heritage. How will the next step be to protect and inherit intangible heritage, so that intangible heritage can be better integrated into modern life? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
Thank you for your question, I'll answer that question. Intangible cultural heritage, its charm stems from its long history, and its vitality lies in inheritance and innovation. In recent years, cultural heritage such as the Qinhuai Lantern Festival, Dong Song, English Song and Dance, etc., have become important tourist resources and are loved by everyone. It can be said that intangible heritage is more visible to people, to see life, and more to know, feel, and experience. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will continue to consolidate the foundation of protection, enhance our ability to inherit, stimulate creative vitality, and promote the better integration of intangible heritage into modern life and serve a better life. It mainly includes the following three aspects.
The first aspect is to consolidate the foundation for the protection and inheritance of intangible heritage. China has very rich intangible heritage resources, and now the number of representative intangible heritage projects at all levels has reached more than 100,000. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will carry out the second national survey of intangible heritage, find out the family background, and establish a general catalogue of intangible heritage resources. We must continue to implement intangible heritage records projects to preserve the precious skills of our inheritors. Implement cultural and ecological reserve construction, expansion and upgrading projects to cultivate a good ecology conducive to the development of non-genetic heritage. Promote classification protection by combining the characteristics and survival status of different categories of intangible heritage rules. For example, in terms of traditional festivals, projects to revitalize traditional Chinese festivals will be implemented in depth, so that the traditional festivals of the Chinese nation, such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chongyang, will shine new brilliance, and make ordinary people have a lively, colorful, and delicious holiday season.
The second aspect is cultivating an inheritance team with a reasonable hierarchy. The core of intangible heritage practice is people, and we will continue to strengthen the identification and management of representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage. The representative inheritors of intangible heritage are a key element in the protection of the entire intangible cultural heritage. We need to support the inheritors to teach the arts and promote the cause of intangible heritage from generation to generation without extinguishing the torch. It is necessary to thoroughly implement training programs for non-genetic inheritors in China to help inheritors improve their cultural interpretation, creative design, and operation management capabilities, and the representative inheritors themselves should also improve. It is necessary to promote the shift of “intangible heritage into campus” to “intangible heritage in campus”, support the establishment of general education courses and special courses on intangible heritage, strengthen research practices, continue to cultivate “new young intangible heritage” and “small non-genetic inheritors”, and continuously strengthen the new strength of intangible heritage protection and inheritance.
The third aspect is to promote the integration of intangible heritage into modern life. The key here is to stimulate innovation. Intangible heritage stems from people's production and life practices. It is necessary to strengthen the lifestyle protection of intangible heritage, support the construction of intangible heritage posts, intangible heritage living aesthetic centers, etc. in various regions, and cultivate a number of new scenarios for inheriting and experiencing. It is necessary to support intangible heritage workshops to improve quality and efficiency, strengthen resource connections and design empowerment, promote “fingertip techniques” such as embroidery, tie-dyeing, paper-cutting, wood carving, and bamboo weaving, and shift to a “fingertip economy” to help the masses increase their income from local employment. It is necessary to implement intangible heritage brand support plans, intangible heritage consumption promotion actions, and continue to carry out brand activities such as the Four Seasons Intangible Heritage Shopping Month and the Intangible Heritage Food Fair. It is necessary to promote the deep integration of intangible heritage and tourism, and create more tourism routes and products with distinctive intangible heritage characteristics, so that people can not only enjoy the beauty of nature, but also immerse themselves in the beauty of intangible heritage and experience the charm of Chinese culture during the trip.
I'll just introduce these, thank you.
New Yellow River Client Reporter:
Currently, we are seeing more and more innovative applications of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality in the field of cultural tourism. What is the next step to promote technology to empower the development of culture and tourism, and enrich the supply of cultural tourism products and the experience of the masses? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
I ask Comrade Miao Muyang to answer this question.
Miao Muyang:
Thanks for the question. In recent years, along with the rapid development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, cultural experiences have become more diverse, and cultural scenes that can be perceived, touched, and interacted have emerged. Libraries, museums, and cultural centers have joined digital librarians. Immersive performing arts have innovated the viewing model, and intelligent explanations and exoskeleton equipment have improved the travel experience. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will promote the deep integration of culture, tourism and technology, deepen the application of digital and intelligent technology, and pay more attention to mutual promotion and mutual empowerment of culture and technology in both directions. Focus on three areas of work:
The first is to focus on scientific and technological innovation. Actively create a good innovation ecosystem, support R&D and integrated innovation of key common technologies such as extended reality and intelligent interaction, promote R&D and technological upgrading of key equipment such as stage performances, games and amusement, snow and ice tourism, and immersive shows to better meet the development needs of the industry. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism built 22 technological innovation centers, relying on enterprises, universities, and research institutes. We will continue to build and make good use of these innovation platforms, strengthen the dominant position of enterprises in innovation, and push scientific and technological innovation achievements to accelerate their entry into production lines and consumers, and transform them into real productivity.
The second is a scene capture application. Actively promote the transformation of emerging technologies into new cultural tourism formats, new products and new scenarios, build a number of high-quality industry data sets, deploy a number of artificial intelligence application pilot projects, and promote a number of digital intelligent cultural tourism system solutions. For example, in the field of public culture, functions such as digital librarians and intelligent search have been upgraded to make it more convenient for the public to obtain public cultural resources; in the field of cultural heritage, we rely on large-scale models to help explain cultural relics, study and explain ancient books, and better spread excellent traditional culture; in the field of tourism services, functions such as itinerary planning, intelligent escort, and passenger flow guidance have been continuously optimized to comprehensively enhance the travel experience. At the same time, we also need to coordinate development and safety, enrich technical means, conduct thorough analysis and judgment, and warn security risks in a timely manner.
The third is to focus on standard-building. Standards are closely linked to scientific and technological innovation. The process of formulating and implementing standards is the process of condensing and popularizing the achievements of scientific and technological innovation. In recent years, we have formulated a series of standards such as cultural digital asset value evaluation and trading, digitization of public cultural venues, and collection of intangible heritage digital resources, which have strongly supported scientific and technological innovation and application in the field of culture and tourism. The next step is to strengthen the formulation of key standards such as the application of artificial intelligence and digital culture, so that all kinds of intelligent cultural tourism products and digital services have standards to follow and follow. At the same time, it will also support domestic organizations to actively participate in the revision of the international standard system, and promote the establishment of projects and the introduction of a number of international standards led by China.
I'll just introduce these, thank you for asking.
Yangcheng Evening News reporter:
Now going to museums, art galleries, libraries, cultural centers, etc. to see exhibitions, read books, and participate in events has become part of people's daily lives. I would like to ask, how can the next step be to better improve the quality of people's cultural life? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
I ask Comrade Chen Binbin to answer this question.
Chen Binbin:
Thanks for the question. Over the past few years, everyone has experienced it. There are more and more people going to museums and art galleries to see exhibitions, people reading books in libraries, and more people singing and dancing in parks, communities, and squares. According to statistics, in 2025, the number of visitors to museums nationwide was 1.56 billion, an increase of 36% over 2019; the number of visitors to public libraries reached 1.47 billion, an increase of 63% over 2019; and the number of visitors to art galleries and cultural centers also increased significantly. Behind these figures is the real demand of the public for a high quality of cultural life, and it is also a vivid reflection of the transformation of public cultural services from “whether they are there” to “good or not.” During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, along with economic and social development, the cultural needs of the masses will continue to grow and upgrade. Public cultural services are services that make people feel warm. We will start from the needs of the masses and focus on three aspects.
The first aspect is to make cultural places more accessible and comfortable. Judging from current figures, there are already quite a few cultural facilities of all kinds, so the next step is to focus on layout optimization and quality improvement. We will continue to rely on grass-roots cultural service networks to cultivate a number of small but beautiful new public cultural spaces according to local conditions, so that everyone who wants to read books and participate in cultural activities can be solved at their doorstep without having to travel a long distance, thus forming a quality cultural life circle around the masses. The number of these new spaces has now exceeded 40,000, and the number continues to grow. At the same time, we will transform and upgrade existing old stadiums and old cultural places in conjunction with the implementation of urban renewal actions to revitalize old stadiums.
The second aspect is to make cultural services richer and more caring. Whether the public cultural service is good or not depends ultimately on the public's dissatisfaction. We will continue to update grass-roots library collections and enrich cultural center activities, improve the service level of museums and art galleries, and implement delayed opening, fully apply new digital intelligence technology, improve reservation services, improve reception capacity, enrich exhibition activities, put more new books and good books on bookshelves, and allow services popular with the public, such as “civic art night schools”, to be carried out on a wider range. At the same time, it will also further improve age-appropriate, barrier-free and child-friendly facilities and services. For example, libraries should be equipped with visually impaired reading rooms and picture book sections for children, and art night schools should offer courses for middle-aged and elderly people, so that everyone can enjoy thoughtful cultural services.
The third aspect is to make cultural activities exciting and exciting. The vitality of cultural activities lies in the participation of the masses. We will actively create conditions and build platforms to vigorously promote new popular literature and art under the Internet environment, and launch more works of literature and art written and performed by the public themselves. It is necessary to carry out extensive cultural activities with the masses as the main body, continue to polish event brands such as “Four Seasons Village Night” and “Four Seasons Village Song”, promote the integration of various cultural activities with tourism, leisure, lifestyle and consumption, and truly integrate into the daily lives of the masses. I'm also posting a small advertisement here. We will host the first Chinese Popular Choir Festival this year. I hope the media will pay more attention and report more. Currently, there are 820,000 choir groups across the country, and the number of participants exceeds 30 million. We will build a platform for choir enthusiasts from all walks of life, so that the crowd can stand C, take the lead, and sing about a beautiful and happy life.
I'll just introduce these, thank you.
Zhou Jianshe:
Please keep asking questions, there are two more reporters.
Shenzhen TV News Reporter:
As people's demand for travel consumption continues to escalate, people also have higher expectations for travel experiences. How can comprehensive policies be adopted during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period to make people feel more attained, happy, and secure during tourism? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
Please ask Comrade Man Hongwei to answer this question.
Man Hongwei:
Thank you for your question. Developing the tourism industry and building a strong tourism nation is ultimately about satisfying and benefiting the people. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will make efforts in three areas so that more people can experience a sense of attainment, happiness, and security through travel.
The first is to strengthen tourism to benefit people's livelihood and make people more happy to travel. Adhere to tourism for the people, combine industry development, consumption promotion, and welfare for people's livelihood, and promote the results of tourism development to benefit more people. We focus on popular travel needs, encourage all regions to normalize tourism consumption promotion activities, and launch welfare initiatives such as joint tickets for scenic spots, annual cultural tourism passes, and exclusive vouchers to stimulate the vitality of travel consumption. In the past two years, it has gradually become the norm for people in the city to go to the countryside to relax, and for rural people to go sightseeing in the city. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, we will promote collaboration between regions, promote more complementary sharing of resources, broaden the two-way flow channels for urban and rural customers, and make “just go travel” a daily routine for more people. We will also step up policy support, resource matching, and skills training, so that people employed through tourism have a platform to start businesses and guarantee income growth.
The second is to promote refined services to make people's travel more comfortable. Focus on solving problems such as congestion, parking and toilet, sanitary environment, service quality, etc., and strive to improve the level of refined service. Support popular scenic spots and cultural expo venues to dynamically adjust opening hours, optimize reservation methods, and enhance reception capacity. Increase the supply of parking resources at tourist attractions, optimize shuttle bus services in scenic spots, improve the convenience of admission to the park and the comfort of sightseeing, and make the service quality. Efforts will be made to make up for shortcomings in public tourism services, optimize the promotion of tourist information, improve the service level of tourist toilets, strengthen the construction of barrier-free facilities, promote age-appropriate transformation, and make services more intimate. We will improve the service quality evaluation system in the tourism market, normalize skills training for workers, cultivate a number of industry service benchmarks, and bring warmth to service. Recently, the State Administration relayed the “Certain Measures to Promote Motorhome Consumption” jointly formulated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and nine departments, and proposed nine measures, including ensuring the passage and parking of motorhomes, and strengthening the construction of motorhome camps, in order to better meet people's self-driving needs.
The third is to enhance travel safety and make people feel more at ease when traveling. Safety is the lifeblood of travel. Together with relevant departments, we will continue to strengthen joint efforts in travel-related safety supervision, normalize the investigation and treatment of hidden risks, strengthen safety management and emergency treatment for key periods such as holidays, flood season and summer, as well as key areas involving travel transportation, fire protection, and special equipment, so as to ensure the safety of visitors' lives and property. At the same time, we will also continue to carry out in-depth special rectification of the national tourism market order to crack down on forced shopping and illegal online recruitment. Since this year, the number of travel complaints across the country has declined by 39.24% year over year. We will insist on asking the needs of the people and considering them, unblock tourist evaluation and feedback channels, improve the tourism market credit system, carry out civilized tourism promotion and guidance, and create a safe, orderly, civilized and honest tourism consumption environment for tourists.
Thanks, that's all.
Zhou Jianshe:
One last question.
Phoenix TV Reporter:
In recent years, some Chinese cultural products have been very popular overseas, and traveling to China has gradually become a new fashion for foreigners. What new considerations and initiatives are being taken to further enhance the influence of Chinese culture and enhance the attractiveness of inbound tourism in the future? Thank you.
Wang Jianhua:
Thank you for your question. This is also a question that everyone is very concerned about, so let me answer it. In recent years, with the widespread spread of Chinese culture and the booming development of inbound tourism, more and more foreign friends are no longer satisfied with learning about China through the news or through a screen, but are eager to visit China and experience Chinese culture firsthand. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will promote high-quality “go out” and “please come in” at multiple levels based on its own functions and responsibilities, and vigorously promote cultural exchanges, tourism cooperation, and mutual cultural learning between China and foreign countries. There are three main considerations and initiatives.
The first is to share Chinese culture. In recent years, spending the Spring Festival, eating Chinese food, and practicing tai chi have gradually become a lifestyle for many foreign friends. Over the next five years, we will allow foreigners to thoroughly understand, appreciate, and experience Chinese culture through a series of cultural exchange activities, such as “Happy Spring Festival,” “Mid-Autumn Festival Poetry Club,” “Dialogue and Understanding,” “Tea and the World,” and “Taste of China.” The more than 70 Chinese cultural centers and tourism offices we have set up around the world will also host a variety of courses on Chinese culture, the “Ancient China in Culture and Creation” exhibition, and a “China Story” lecture, etc. Friends from all countries are welcome to sit back, take a look, and experience the charm of Chinese aesthetics firsthand.
The second is to smooth the movement of personnel. Our country has become the largest source of visitors and a major destination for international tourism. According to statistics, in 2025, the number of inbound tourists reached 154 million, an increase of 17.1% over the previous year; the number of outbound tourists from mainland residents reached 148 million, an increase of 20.8% over the previous year. Next, we will work with relevant departments to continuously improve the inbound tourism service system, improve the level of facilitation in terms of visas, payment, tax refunds, guided tours, accommodation, transportation, etc., launch more inbound tourism products that blend tradition and modernity, and further develop “Hello! Overseas promotion of the “China” national tourism image makes it more convenient for visitors to China, more comfortable to stay, more memorable, and experience the development vitality of contemporary China up close. At the same time, we will attach great importance to the safety and protection of the rights and interests of outbound tourists, continue to provide risk warnings and reminders for outbound tourist destinations, and cooperate with relevant departments to do a good job of consular protection.
The third is to learn from each other in depth among civilizations. We will take the Global Civilization Initiative as our lead, improve bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, and deepen cultural and tourism cooperation with countries around the world. For example, it is necessary to give full play to the role of the six major alliances of the Silk Road International Theatre, museums, art festivals, libraries, art galleries, and tourist cities, and also make good use of platforms such as the China International Travel Fair to promote practical cooperation between Chinese and foreign cultural and artistic institutions, as well as between cultural and tourism enterprises. Close cooperation with international organizations, organize the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference, complete project applications for the World Cultural Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and cultivate more “Best Tourist Villages” of the United Nations Tourism Organization.
I'll just introduce these. The Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays are coming soon. I wish everyone to enjoy their body and mind, cultivate sentiments, and have a safe, healthy, happy and peaceful holiday in cultural and tourism activities. Thank you all.
Zhou Jianshe:
That's it for today's press conference. Thank you to all the publishers, thank you to all the reporters and friends, see you all!
This article was selected from the official website of the “State Information Office”, Zhitong Finance Editor: Feng Qiuyi.