Published on: 2026-05-13
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the recently concluded May Day holidays, domestic tourist flows in China reached 325 million person-visits, which is 3.6% more compared to the same period last year; total revenue from domestic tourism amounted to 185.492 billion yuan — an increase of 2.9%. These indicators reflect the dynamic development of the culture and tourism economy and high activity of festive consumption.
If you translate the perspective from one holiday over the entire year, you can more keenly feel the powerful dynamics of the culture and tourism industry. Previously published annual data by Gosstat show: the added value of the culture industry and related sectors in China reached 4.61% of GDP, while the added value of the tourism industry and related sectors amounted to 4.35% of GDP.
From a temporary festive “flow” to a stable year-round component—the share of the culture and tourism industry in the national economy is imperceptibly increasing, turning into an important factor that cannot be ignored.
This is not just a shift in sectoral positions, but a reflection of profound changes in the structural driving forces of China’s economic growth: consumption of services increasingly plays the role of an “accelerator” in the structure of domestic demand and rapidly becomes one of the drivers of economic development.
Such changes vividly reflect the modernization of the country’s consumer structure. In the past, when it came to consumption, people primarily thought about the purchase of some goods; today, however, the growing popularity is of leisure forms such as spontaneous travels, immersive cultural experiences, tasting dishes from the list of intangible cultural heritage — many are ready to pay for such impressions.There is a rethinking of the essence of consumption: the emphasis shifts from possessing material goods to obtaining impressions, and the focus of needs moves from satisfying basic necessities to enriching the spiritual world.
The trend remains stable in 2026: during this year’s Spring Festival, domestic tourist trips reached 596 million, tourism revenue exceeded 800 billion yuan, setting a new record; in the first quarter, the revenue of cultural enterprises in China exceeded 3.5 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.4% compared to the same period last year.
Behind these figures lies the aspiration of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people for a better life, moving from the basic question “to have or not” to the evaluation of the level “good or not.” On the scale of consumption, increasingly, material and cultural needs outweigh.
In a number of developed countries, the share of the culture and tourism industry in the national economy exceeds 20%. The current indicators of China demonstrate the presence of a solid foundation and simultaneously indicate a significant potential for the development of the industry.
The culture and tourism industry has already become an important source of feelings of happiness and satisfaction for the population, as well as a powerful driver of consumption and economic growth. But what is “novel” about the new economic picture of China, if you look at the figures for the share of the culture and tourism industry in GDP?
The novelty of the new picture primarily consists in the fact that culture and tourism are becoming an industry of public welfare, bringing benefits to millions of people.
In the past, the concept of culture and tourism was associated with visiting tourist sites. Today, however, the sphere of culture and tourism has significantly expanded, extending to county towns and ordinary alleys. Data from Meituan platforms show that this year, during the May Day holidays, there was a recorded increase in interest in tours of intangible cultural heritage sites.Workshops of intangible heritage stimulate employment and income growth, rural tourism brings the effect of enriching the people — the culture and tourism industry truly works for the welfare of the people, ensuring access to development benefits for broad segments of the population.
The novelty of the new picture also lies in the fact that culture and tourism are becoming an industry of happiness, feeding people’s hearts.
Modernization of the consumer structure reflects people’s deep aspiration for a beautiful life. From thematic bookstores on city streets to art festivals in rural fields, consumption in the spheres of culture and tourism has ceased to be an optional “addition” and has become a “necessity” for improving the quality of life and enriching the spiritual world.
The novelty of the new picture also manifests itself in the fact that culture and tourism are becoming a key sector contributing to development.
The 15th Five-Year Plan clearly indicates the necessity of active development of the cultural and tourism industry, endowing economic and social development with culture. In the Report on the work of the government published this year, the necessity of high-quality development of the spheres of culture and tourism and the enrichment of integration formats of culture, tourism, sports, and trade is also emphasized.
At the same time, the international cultural and tourist attraction of China continues to grow steadily. In 2025, inbound tourist flow to China exceeded 150 million trips, increasing by more than 17% compared to the same period last year; inbound tourist receipts exceeded 130 billion US dollars, growing by nearly 40% on an annual basis. The popular hashtag “Become Chinese” reflects the desire of foreign tourists to visit China.
From “tourism to China” to “shopping in China” and further to the demand for “Chinese services” — culture and tourism are becoming an important driver of growth in the trade of services, forming a credible, attractive, and respectful image of China in the world.
The culture and tourism industry has ceased to be merely a “landscape,” having turned into a sturdy bridge that connects tradition with the future, combines culture with the economy, and links China with the world. When the modernization of the consumer structure goes hand in hand with the optimization of the industry structure, and cultural confidence steadily fuels economic dynamics, a picture of high-quality development unfolds — deep, warm, and vibrant.
Please note; this information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.