Published on: 2026-07-24
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Beijing, July 24 /Xinhua/ — The summer tourist season is already in full swing throughout China. Instead of mountain resorts and amusement parks, millions of Chinese families are choosing tours of operating factories, shipyards, and renovated industrial zones.
Data from the online travel platform Qunar, recently published, confirm the rapid growth of Chinese interest in this type of leisure activity: in the past month, search queries for industrial excursions increased 3.3 times compared to the previous month, and demand for industrial familiarization tour products jumped by more than 50 percent compared to the same period last year.
Industry research institutions offer optimistic forecasts: from 2024 to 2029, the industrial tourism sector in the country will maintain an average annual growth rate of 18%, and the market volume is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan (about 44 billion US dollars) by 2029. This indicates that industrial tourism is ceasing to be just a fashionable trend and is becoming a stable, promising segment in the domestic tourism market.
SUMMER BOOM OF INDUSTRIAL TOURISM
Beijing resident Liu Li is a typical example of tourists who prefer such excursions. She registered her child in advance for an introductory trip to the high-speed train production base in Changchun city, Jilin province in northeast China.
“I want my child to personally get acquainted with the achievements in the field of advanced manufacturing in China. The trip can also be an effective way of learning,” she says.
The growing interest in industrial tourism is directly related to the changing travel needs of Chinese consumers: more and more travelers are moving away from passive vacations, preferring trips that combine leisure with acquiring new knowledge. The main prerequisite for the development of this sector is China’s strong manufacturing base, which has led the world for 16 consecutive years in added value in manufacturing and demonstrates the advantages of a complete structure in this sector, providing a rich selection of sites for excursions.
This positive trend has received official support at the state level. Recently, the offices of seven ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the PRC, jointly issued a circular on promoting industrial culture, preserving industrial heritage, and developing industrial tourism. The document outlines eight priority measures — from enhancing the protection level of industrial heritage to expanding the range of tourist products.
To date, 142 national demonstration bases of industrial tourism have been certified in China, which have become prominent representatives of this field. The 15th Five-Year Plan for socio-economic development (2026-2030) provides for coordinated development of industrial tourism alongside “red tourism,” rural tourism, and health tourism.
One of the most popular tourist attractions is the Xiaomi automobile factory in Beijing. This complex, covering an area of 718 thousand square meters, was opened to the public in March 2024 and has since welcomed more than 250,000 visitors. Xiaomi founder Lei Jun advocates for further efforts to improve the environment for the development of industrial tourism, including the creation of new tour scenarios and enhancement of the visitor experience.
“These events not only allow the public to immerse themselves in the world of industrial civilization through immersive acquaintance, but also play an important role in popularizing science, transmitting cultural heritage, stimulating employment, and renewing the appearance of cities,” he noted.
Zhu Wanfen, a member of the board of the Beijing Tourism Society, noted that industrial tourism brings together producers and consumers, satisfying the growing interest of people in domestic brands, industrial technologies, and craftsmanship.
INDUSTRY PROBLEMS
However, alongside the rapid growth in the popularity of this type of tourism, experts note a number of structural problems in the industry. According to statistics, the share of income from industrial tourism in the total domestic tourism market does not exceed 5%, which is significantly lower than the corresponding figure of 10-15% in developed countries.
Most industrial-themed tourist attractions generate the majority of their income from ticket sales. High-revenue areas, such as educational programs for schoolchildren, corporate group tours, and custom souvenir products, are still underdeveloped. And although many sites attract a large flow of visitors, their financial profit remains unstable due to this.
Furthermore, there is a noticeable standardization of tourist products in the sector: there are few interactive formats, and tours mostly boil down to passive observation of production lines and static exhibitions. The reconstruction of old industrial sites is often conducted according to standard templates, without deeply revealing the local industrial history, so repeat visits by tourists remain a rare occurrence.
The industry also faces a severe shortage of versatile specialists with a mixed profile: engineers with deep manufacturing knowledge often have limited understanding of marketing and tourism services, while tourism professionals, in turn, lack specialized knowledge of industrial production processes. This creates difficulties in organizing high-quality tours.
The development of industrial tourism is also uneven across different regions of China. In the coastal provinces in the east of the country, supporting tourist infrastructure is more fully formed. At the same time, old industrial centers in the northeastern and western areas face serious difficulties with transport accessibility and hotel business development. The reconstruction of facilities for tourist needs requires large investments with a long payback period, creating a financial burden for local authorities and businesses.
Another significant obstacle is the insufficient coordination of actions among the involved parties. Many manufacturing enterprises are reluctant to open their production workshops for tours due to concerns about the leakage of technological secrets, and existing government subsidies do not cover the full costs of organizing safe tourist routes. Additionally, most companies view industrial tourism only as a short-term tool for brand promotion and do not develop long-term plans for its development.
The Deputy Director of the Center for the Development of Industrial Culture under the Ministry of Industry and Informatization Sun Xing emphasized that the new regulatory act purposefully addresses various acute problems existing in the development of the industry. This document aims to eliminate various administrative barriers, standardize construction standards of supporting infrastructure, and also provides a range of financial support measures.
DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS
Industrial tourism is not new to China. As early as 1994, the production lines of the Chinese automotive giant FAW Group in the city of Changchun were opened to tourists. Later, well-preserved industrial sites, including Beijing’s 798 art zone, Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, and the Tsingtao Brewery in the city of Qingdao in Shandong province in eastern China, transformed into iconic tourist attractions.
According to Sun Xin, the new policy signifies the transition of industrial tourism from the stage of “general promotion and encouragement” to a new phase of “systematic advancement.” “Industrial tourism has ceased to be just one of the formats of cultural-tourism activities and represents a systemic project carrying out functions of spreading industrial culture, urban renewal, and raising the level of consumption,” the official noted.
Since 2017, the Ministry of Industry and Informatization has identified a total of 264 national industrial heritage sites. The new political document emphasizes the priority of heritage preservation while simultaneously encouraging adaptive reuse of industrial sites through creative design and new business models. Bright examples of successful implementation of this direction are the “Huaxin 1907” park on the site of an old cement plant in Hubei Province /Central China/ and the “Memories of the Eastern Suburb” complex in Chengdu, which was visited by more than 18 million people in 2025.
To address the issues of product standardization and lack of interactivity, the industry will change the format of tours in the future — moving away from passive viewing towards immersive programs. At the same time, the business model will be transformed: instead of focusing on ticket sales, there will be an emphasis on comprehensive services, including educational tours, corporate programs, night economy events, and more.
These changes will help industrial tourism expand its audience and strengthen its position in the domestic market. With state support and active efforts from enterprises, the sector will be able to realize its potential, become an important element of China’s national economy and culture, combining industrial heritage, modern technologies, and a unique tourist experience. -0-
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