On March 18, the main forum of the 2025 China Tourism, Leisure and Entertainment Industry Annual Conference, hosted by the China Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (CAAPA), was held in Beijing. Ms. Lu Mengxi, General Manager of Meituan's Culture and Tourism Industry and Dean of the Culture and Tourism Research Institute, gave a speech on the theme of “Release and Interpretation of the Case Study Report on New Scenarios and New Business Models in China's Tourism and Leisure Industry”. The following are the speech video and the full report.

Industry

Overview

Overall scale of China's tourism and leisure market and User characteristic insights

Overall scale of China's tourism and leisure market

In 2024, the Chinese tourism market has ended its recovery cycle and entered a new round of growth. From the perspective of consumption structure, the consumption end of China's tourism and leisure market has simultaneously warmed up. The penetration rate of digital services continues to grow, and the resource integration capabilities of OTA platforms in transportation, accommodation, and resorts have further strengthened.

The 2025 Spring Festival is the first Spring Festival after “Spring Festival—the social practice of the Chinese people celebrating the traditional New Year” was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO. Through theme planning and policy guidance, various places have promoted the high-quality development of the market and effectively stimulated consumption in traditional cultural tourism.

Insights into the characteristics of Chinese tourism and leisure users

Chinese tourism and leisure users' travel is shifting towards lower-tier and niche cities. Meituan Travel data shows that in the second half of 2024, 16 of the top 20 cities with the highest year-on-year growth rate of out-of-town tourists were fifth-tier cities.

The experiential needs of tourism and leisure are transitioning from standardization to in-depth experiences ， Users' willingness to pay for in-depth experiences has significantly increased . Focusing on theme parks and integrated resorts, tourists' demand for diversified and innovative experiences continues to rise.

From the perspective of different age groups, Intergenerational consumption differences are becoming increasingly significant. Taking theme parks as an example, There is a slight difference in user consumption structure between weekdays and holidays 。 Tourists are increasingly inclined to choose “one-stop service” and “package consumption”, paying more attention to emotional experience and memorable gameplay, while the popularity of immediate and small but unique gameplay is increasing.

Price and product are no longer the only coordinates, service responsiveness, problem resolution rate, and emotional value supply capacity together constitute a new triangle for tourist evaluation and decision-making.

Industry

Insights

Five New Scenarios

Five New Business Models

(1) Technology: Injecting new impetus into cultural heritage scenic areas

Cultural heritage scenic areas are important carriers that bear brilliant civilizations, inherit historical culture, and maintain national spirit. In recent years, they have attracted more and more tourists. Technological innovation is an important force supporting the high-quality development of cultural heritage scenic areas. The implementation of visa-free policies for overseas tourists allows the world to decode Oriental aesthetics through digital technology.

(2) Intangible Cultural Heritage: Unlocking new business models for the integration of tourism and leisure culture

Local operas, intangible cultural heritage crafts, and festive ceremonies—these dormant cultural genes are becoming powerful tools for cultural and tourism enterprises to attract tourists. Tourists are no longer satisfied with taking photos and checking in, but are pursuing participation in “touchable culture + inheritable emotions + fancy gameplay” ，hand-making “heirloom bowls” in intangible cultural heritage workshops, and sealing city memories with dialect postcards.

(3) National Tide: Increasing the stickiness of tourism and leisure consumption

Traditional culture is using the national tide as a carrier to demonstrate the modern value of excellent traditional Chinese culture. Traditional cultural tourism projects rely on hardware upgrades, while national tide players are good at reconstructing consumption logic with emotional resonance, creating an “on-site cultural” experience ，allowing tourists to feel the charm of culture in the process and transforming national confidence into consumption momentum.

(4) Small Group Tours: An intimate travel method with circle resonance

Contemporary travel is undergoing a qualitative change from “physical displacement” to “relationship deepening”. The essence of small group tours is a social efficiency revolution: using precise population control to amplify the emotional peak of each relationship.

(5) Ice and Snow Track: From “niche hobby” to “mass carnival”

The rapid development of the ice and snow economy is sinking from professional tracks to mass experiences. Interest-driven consumption logic is breaking down the barriers of the professional tourism market, and the ticket repurchase rate of ski resorts equipped with services for novice scenarios is far higher than that of ordinary ski resorts.

(6) Night Economy: Adding new vitality to the leisure economy

Tourists' tourism and leisure needs are shifting towards all-weather experiences, The rise of the night economy becoming a new engine of urban vitality. To boost consumption and serve more tourists, many scenic spots are extending their closing hours until midnight. 。

(VII) Island Tourism: Artistic and Romantic Leisure Spaces

Islands are no longer just geographical concepts; they have been upgraded to artistic and romantic leisure spaces that accommodate new lifestyles. "Staying in a hotel and enjoying an island" is becoming the right way to kick off summer leisure and vacation travel.

(VIII) IP Linkage: Building Story-Driven New Scenarios

The linkage between popular IPs and the tourism and leisure industry is becoming increasingly frequent, creating new scenarios full of storytelling and attraction. Successful IP linkage is never just about logo splicing; it's a systematic project, from flow design to supporting service facilities. 。

(IX) Wellness Revolution: From Stress Release to Holistic Well-being

Tourism and leisure are shifting towards spiritual satisfaction and healing. The underlying logic of leisure consumption has shifted from "releasing stress" to "cultivating mind and body". Health empowerment has become a hard currency in entertainment consumption.

(X) Deep Travel: Establishing Close Connections Between People and Scenarios

Past superficial sightseeing tours can no longer satisfy people's higher pursuit of travel experiences. Deep travel, as a brand new travel concept, is shifting the value of tourism from "I've been there" to "I've participated".

Future

Outlook

Future Outlook for the Tourism, Leisure, and Entertainment Industry

(I) Intelligent Symbiosis: Redefining the Dialogue Between People and Scenery

An AI technological revolution, through AI travel assistants, generative search, etc., has turned "thousand people, thousand faces" from marketing jargon into a travel standard. Travel services have shifted from "rule-oriented" to "people-centric," and the cultural tourism industry is moving from an "experience-driven" to an "algorithm-driven" era.

(II) Niche Circles: Expanding Scenarios in the Tourism Market

As interests gradually become a major factor in choosing tourist destinations, the cultural tourism industry is evolving from mass tourism to personalization. The standardized experiences of traditional theme parks can no longer satisfy young people's craving for "identity" and "sense of belonging". Behind this lies a new consumption formula: Vertical Interest Concentration × Scene Immersion = User Retention Duration.

(III) Carbon Footprint Transparency: The Ultimate Answer for Sustainable Travel

In the near future, tourists visiting Hangzhou Xixi Wetland might choose a shared bicycle to reach their hotel, and then, in the "disposable items" pop-up interface, select "No, I'll bring my own," reducing carbon emissions by 203.2g, while also earning 200 Meituan Hotel member points, contributing to the donation of environmental corners for Meituan rural children's playgrounds; guests at Sanya hotels could earn "carbon credits" by reusing towels, which might directly offset the cost of seafood buffets. Everyone's low-carbon actions are participating in pricing the future. 。