China will deepen the integration of culture and tourism, expand smart and green tourism and, for the first time, include expanded marine tourism space in its tourism development planning for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, officials said on Thursday.
The moves are aimed at providing richer cultural and tourism experiences while using the sectors to support consumption, economic development and cultural exchanges, according to a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.
Wang Jianhua, vice-minister of culture and tourism, said deeper integration of culture and tourism will be the main line of development from 2026 to 2030.
Tourism will be used to communicate Chinese culture, including fine traditional culture and revolutionary culture, while cultural content will be incorporated more deeply into tourism products and services, from scenic areas and resorts to dining, accommodation and entertainment.
The emphasis comes as China's cultural and tourism sectors continue to expand. In 2025, the country's cultural industry generated 20.8 trillion yuan ($2.9 trillion) in operating revenue, with average annual growth of 8.4 percent during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Domestic tourists made 6.52 billion trips and spent 6.3 trillion yuan, both record highs, Wang said.
Digital and intelligent technologies are also expected to reshape the sectors.
Miao Muyang, director general of the Industrial Development Department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said the ministry will promote the integration of technology with culture and tourism, including digital animation, digital art and immersive performances.
Artificial intelligence will also be applied in public cultural services, cultural heritage and tourism, with possible uses including digital cultural-service staff, intelligent retrieval, domain-specific large models to assist with cultural relic interpretation and ancient-book research, as well as itinerary planning, intelligent travel companions and crowd-flow guidance.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the ministry established 22 technological innovation centers involving enterprises, universities and research institutions, Miao said.
Tourism development will meanwhile extend beyond established destinations.
Man Hongwei, director of Resource Development Department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said the 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Tourism Powerhouse calls for the first time for expanding marine tourism space.
The plan proposes a north-south marine tourism belt and products covering coastal sightseeing, seaside leisure, island tourism and cruise and yacht tourism. It also identifies 32 tourism hub cities, 33 key tourism cities and 23 distinctive tourism destinations, while calling for greater development of county-level tourism and smaller destinations.
Man said the country will also develop more urban leisure and rural vacation products, upgrade scenic areas and resorts and create more experience-oriented tourism offerings.
As Chinese cultural products gain popularity overseas, the country will also step up efforts to expand cultural trade and international exchanges.
Miao said the ministry will support Chinese cultural enterprises in going global, including in areas such as online literature, web dramas, online games, animation, performances and trendy toys and cultural and creative products.
Wang said China will also make inbound travel more convenient by improving services covering visas, payments, tax refunds, guides, accommodation and transportation. In 2025, inbound tourism reached 154 million trips, up 17.1 percent year-on-year, he said.
The ministry will promote the "Nihao China" tourism brand overseas and develop more products combining Chinese traditions with contemporary life, Wang added.
He noted that more foreigners are seeking to experience China and Chinese culture firsthand, while cultural and tourism exchanges will provide more opportunities for mutual learning among civilizations.
