Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

THE cultural tourism market in China has exited its developmental phase, featured by extensive and homogeneous expansion, and now is heading towards a new phase that focuses on tourism itself and prioritizes fostering a sustainable model for growth.

At present, consumers in South China are still showing great interest in travelling. Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have shown the fastest growth in terms of popularity among inbound tourism in southern China, a report by Jones Lang LaSalle’s Shenzhen division showed.

Meanwhile, many small towns are burgeoning, galvanized by the country’s support for building tourist towns. According to the list released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, 55 projects have been approved in Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian and Guangxi.

“Tourism products that feature sightseeing are gradually losing luster and are falling short of tourists’ expectations for enriched travel experiences,” said Samuel Zhai, director of the division’s strategic advisory department.

“Under these circumstances, the cultural tourism industry in South China will not only rely on landscape and leisure. It will also transform into a highly integrated industry encompassing primary, secondary and tertiary industries,” said Zhai.

The report also showed that the number of cultural tourism consumers in China has increased rapidly. According to statistics from Jones Lang LaSalle, the consumer group has grown from 4.56 million in 2000 to 180 million in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of 24 percent.

It is estimated that by 2020, the number of cultural tourism consumers will reach 250 million, accounting for about 18 percent of the total population.