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 vacation have further strengthened.

The 2025 Spring Festival was the first Spring Festival after "Spring Festival—the social practice of the Chinese 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 traditional cultural tourism consumption.

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 beautiful unique gameplay is increasing.

Price and product are no longer the only coordinates, service responsiveness, problem resolution rate, and emotional value supply capacity jointly 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 customers. Tourists are no longer satisfied with taking photos and checking in, but are pursuing participation. "Tangible culture + inheritable emotions + fancy gameplay" For example, 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-day experiences, The rise of the night economy has become a new engine of urban vitality. In order to promote consumption and serve more tourists, many scenic areas have extended their closing time to midnight. 。

(7) Island tours: A romantic and artistic leisure space

Islands are no longer geographical concepts, but have been upgraded into romantic and artistic leisure spaces that carry new lifestyles. "Staying in a hotel and playing on an island" is becoming the right way to start a summer leisure vacation.

(8) IP Synergy: Building New Story-Driven Scenarios

The synergy between popular IPs and the tourism and leisure industry is becoming increasingly frequent, creating new scenarios full of stories and appeal. Successful IP synergy is not simply a logo combination, but a systematic project from route design to supporting services. 。

(9) Wellness Revolution: Shifting from Stress Relief to Mind-Body Cultivation

Tourism and leisure are shifting towards spiritual fulfillment and therapeutic directions. The underlying logic of leisure consumption has shifted from "stress relief" to "mind-body cultivation", Health empowerment has become a hard currency for entertainment consumption.

(10) Deep Travel: Establishing a Close Connection Between People and Scenery

The past sightseeing tourism style is no longer enough to meet people's higher pursuit of travel experience. Deep travel, as a new travel concept, the value of tourism is shifting from "I have been there" to "I have participated in".

Future

Outlook

Future Outlook of the Tourism, Leisure and Entertainment Industry

(1) Intelligent Symbiosis: Redefining the Way People Interact with Scenery

A technological revolution in AI, through AI travel assistants and generative search, has made "personalized experiences" from marketing slogans into standard travel features. Travel services have shifted from "rule-oriented" to "people-oriented," and the tourism industry is transitioning from "experience-driven" to "algorithm-driven" era.

(2) Niche Segments: Expanding the Scenarios of the Tourism Market

As interests gradually become an important factor in choosing tourist destinations, the tourism industry is undergoing an evolution from large-scale to personalized experiences. The standardized experiences of traditional theme parks can no longer satisfy young people's desire for "identity" and "sense of belonging". Behind this lies a new consumption formula: Vertical Interest Intensity × Scene Immersion = User Retention Time.

(3) Carbon Footprint Transparency: The Ultimate Answer to Sustainable Travel

In the near future, tourists in Hangzhou's West Lake may choose shared bicycles to reach their hotels, and then choose "no, I will bring my own" in the "disposable items" pop-up window, reducing carbon emissions by 203.2g, while also receiving 200 Meituan hotel member points and contributing to the donation of an environmentally friendly corner for a Meituan rural children's playground; guests at Sanya hotels can earn "carbon points" by reusing towels, which may be directly deducted from the cost of a seafood buffet. Everyone's low-carbon actions are participating in pricing the future. 。