Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism Party Committee Secretary and Director Zhong Xiaomin: Strengthening the strategic link of the dual circulation and building China's first inbound tourism destination
Editor-in-Chief | Yang Ming
Source |
China Culture Daily
Recently, the 2025 National Conference of Directors of Cultural and Tourism Bureaus was held in Beijing. Zhong Xiaomin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, delivered a speech at the meeting. The following is the content of the speech:
In recent years, Shanghai, based on its urban positioning as a central node in the domestic large cycle and a strategic link in the dual domestic and international cycles, has leveraged its advantages as a "metropolitan, comprehensive, and international" city to promote the improvement and efficiency of inbound tourism. From January to November 2024, Shanghai received 5.9655 million inbound tourists, a year-on-year increase of 86.44%.
Implementing convenient measures for inbound tourism. We always regard "convenience" as a key element in promoting inbound tourism. Promoting convenient payment. We comprehensively promote the payment model of "large-amount card swiping, small-amount scanning, and cash as a last resort." POS machines for foreign cards are basically fully covered in the city's core business districts, transportation hubs, three-star and above hotels, and 3A-level and above tourist attractions. We have launched the first new payment tool in China with a wide range of applications and online and offline integration—the Shanghai Pass urban tourism card, allowing foreign tourists to "have one card in hand and travel freely in Shanghai." Promoting convenient customs clearance. Promoting the application of the "single window" platform at cruise ports to improve customs clearance efficiency. At airport hubs, we are piloting the self-service printing of entry cards for foreigners, and the "temporary entry card for foreigners" is included in the self-reporting system to simplify the entry process. Promoting convenient services. Strengthening the integration of comprehensive foreign-related services, three one-stop comprehensive service centers for foreign personnel coming to Shanghai have been established at Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport. We are promoting the increase in direct flights to and from major source countries, supporting tourism enterprises to cooperate with airlines, high-speed rail, and internet platforms to improve the convenience of travel for inbound tourists.
Creating a friendly environment for inbound tourism. We adhere to a customer-centric approach, striving to create a welcoming and comfortable tourism environment. Optimizing visits and guided tours. Improving language services, foreign language signage, and multilingual guided tour facilities in scenic spots, leisure areas, and transportation hubs. Promoting the cancellation of ticket reservations and the compatibility of ticket purchase systems with foreign identity documents in cultural and tourism venues. More than 3,000 cultural and tourism venues across the city have implemented measures to exempt reservations for entry and visits. Optimizing tourism consultation. Focusing on the needs of tourist guidance and consultation, strengthening business training for city tourism consultation service centers, establishing a knowledge base for frequently asked questions about inbound tourism, creating a 24-hour consultation and feedback system, and publishing English-language service manuals. Optimizing supporting guarantees. Optimizing hotel accommodation, luggage storage, and restroom services in scenic areas, promoting the opening of all accommodation resources in the city to inbound tourists, and 232 cultural and tourism venues providing luggage storage services, allowing inbound tourists to feel the warmth of the city.
Developing matching products for inbound tourism. Grasping the travel preferences of inbound tourists, creating a diverse and characteristic product system. Launching integrated cultural and tourism products. Focusing on the themes of "exploring the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek," "reading architecture," "exploring the history of Shanghai," "Shanghai-style ancient towns in Jiangnan," as well as cultural relics exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and other city IPs, we are creating "viewing cultural relics exhibitions, appreciating art exhibitions, watching excellent plays, attending concerts, exploring Shanghai's history, enjoying aesthetics, visiting scenic spots, and tasting delicious food," a selection of high-quality urban cultural and tourism experiences to meet the cultural experience needs of inbound tourists. Enriching customized products for festivals, exhibitions, and events. Working together with major festivals, exhibitions, and events such as the China International Import Expo, the Shanghai Tourism Festival, and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, focusing on intangible cultural heritage experiences and national trends, we are launching customized and personalized tourism projects, transforming audiences and business travelers into tourists. Launching diverse themed tourism products. Highlighting the theme of City Walk urban exploration, we are developing one-day experience tours, two-day select tours, three-day immersive tours, four-day leisure tours, and five-day in-depth tours, covering various dimensions and aspects. We are guiding Ctrip and Shanghai Airlines International Travel to launch a "free half-day tour for international transit passengers" product. During the 2024 Shanghai Tourism Festival, seven series of 121 inbound tourism boutique routes were launched, which were well-received by inbound tourists.
Improving urban promotion for inbound tourism. Grasping the laws of international communication and strengthening the construction of international communication narrative capabilities. Implementing the "Meet in Shanghai" promotion campaign. Releasing a new Shanghai city image film and holding the "Meet in Shanghai" global promotion event. Appointing public welfare promoters of Shanghai's international tourism image and inbound tourism observers, cultivating "city recommenders" to promote Shanghai from a "first-person perspective." Proactively participating in thematic promotions in source markets such as Europe, America, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East. Strengthening the construction of a joint promotion mechanism. Improving the network of cultural and tourism joint promotion led by Shanghai in the "Belt and Road" initiative, promoting the establishment of a regional office of the United Nations World Tourism Organization in Shanghai, promoting the establishment of an inbound tourism center by China Tourism Group in Shanghai, and strengthening promotional cooperation with consular agencies in Shanghai, overseas Chinese cultural centers, and tourism offices. Expanding channels for inbound tourism promotion. Making good use of overseas mainstream social media platforms, strengthening the multilingual cultural and tourism promotion website in 14 languages, targeting major source countries to create a "one-stop" information portal, and improving the accuracy and reach of promotion.
Next, Shanghai will further develop an inbound tourism product system with international appeal, a city convenience service system with international friendliness, and a global tourism promotion system with international communication power, continuously improving Shanghai's global competitiveness in inbound tourism and attracting more overseas tourists to "come to Shanghai and tour China."
Special Research on Investment in the Cultural and Tourism Industry
To gain a deeper understanding of the investment and development of the cultural and tourism industry, the China Tourism Academy, in conjunction with the China Amusement Machine and Amusement Park Association and other units, is conducting a special research activity on investment in the cultural and tourism industry. We sincerely invite all member units and cultural and tourism enterprises to participate in the research.
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