Consumer vouchers in pipeline for summer holidays

XINING — China on Wednesday launched a national summer holiday cultural and tourism consumption campaign, with more than 450 million yuan ($66 million) worth of consumer vouchers to be distributed.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the campaign aims to improve the supply of seasonal tourism products and services and encourage people to enjoy travel during the summer holidays.

Running from early July to late August, the campaign is expected to feature more than 30,000 activities nationwide, catering to popular travel demands, such as summer getaways, coastal vacations, night tourism, cruise trips and study tours.

The ministry, along with other relevant agencies, will put a series of support measures in place, ranging from travel information guides to preferential financial policies. This campaign comes as China has set a target of significantly enhancing people's access to and satisfaction with tourism by 2030, according to a new five-year tourism development plan issued on Tuesday.

China boasts a diverse tapestry of attractions, from breathtaking natural landscapes to profound cultural heritage sites, all supported by modern infrastructure such as high-speed rail and 5G networks. This combination provides a robust foundation for continued consumption growth.

The evolving consumption habits of the younger generation are also reshaping market dynamics, as they are driving the shift toward cultural tourism and more tailored experiences, and opening new opportunities for related sectors, including dining, accommodation and transportation.

This rise in cultural tourism has led to new business models, such as nighttime cultural tourism. The cross-industry integration invigorates the consumer market and injects new vitality into the cultural tourism industry. Consumption vitality burst during the recent May Day holiday, with the sales revenue of related sectors growing by 14.3 percent year-on-year, indicating a further release of spending potential.

XINHUA-CHINA DAILY