Since the reform and opening up, with the growth of the social economy, especially the improvement of people's living standards, China's tourism has developed rapidly. After the sightseeing tourism development stage, I believe that China's tourism will transition from the previous sightseeing tourism era to the resort tourism era. There are many signs to judge the transition of a society from sightseeing tourism to the resort tourism era.

The first phenomenon is the accelerating independence of tourism elements.

People need many elements when traveling, usually the six elements of food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. The existence of these elements is different in different eras. In the sightseeing tourism era, these six elements need to be combined and arranged to form products, such as one-day tours and two-day tours, which we call route products. Our earliest inbound tourism started in Beijing, then Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, and Guangzhou. In Beijing, Xi'an, and Guilin, where to stay, what to eat, what to see, and what to buy were all organized by travel agencies, that is, through group tours and local reception systems, combining them to form tourism products. From an economic perspective, this is a point-line tourism economic model, with points and lines, plus six elements, organically combined together. This is a type of tourism that emerged in the sightseeing tourism era. In recent years, especially with the development of domestic tourism, these six elements are accelerating their independence at a rapid pace. For example, about seven or eight years ago, with the emergence of resort tourism demand, the accommodation element was the first to become independent, forming boutique hotels, themed hotels, homestays, and campsites, forming a complete accommodation industry system. In the past five years, with the emergence of leisure tourism, the "entertainment" element has also accelerated its independence, with the concept of "traveling with food," making food a very important element in attracting tourists. Some areas can boost a city with a concert or an event, attracting tourists through the "entertainment" element. The "transportation" element is also beginning to become independent, forming scenic roads, campsites, and RVs. Why is there an independence of elements? It is because different tourism demands are related to various tourism elements, and the importance of elements to different tourism forms is different. For example, resort tourism focuses on the "accommodation" element, while leisure tourism focuses on the "food" and "entertainment" elements. We judge that when a society's basic tourism elements are accelerating their independence, forming an industrial development trend, it can be judged that the resort era has begun, because only in the resort era is the independence of tourism elements needed. This is the first phenomenon.

The second phenomenon is the accelerating formation of a block tourism system.

In the era of sightseeing tourism, the entire industrial organization, or tourism economic system, is a point-line structure. The tourism economic system first has points, which may be centered on scenic areas, and must be composed of routes. In recent years, the block tourism economic system has been accelerating its formation. Its typical concept is based on a central city, forming a spatial system. It emphasizes the importance of tourist cities or central cities in the entire tourism economic system, indicating that the block tourism system has been formed, and various tourism formats and activities are carried out around the city, including its organizational system, travel system, and tourism industry system. If a society's block tourism system has become a key system supporting tourism development, it indicates that the resort era has begun.

The third phenomenon is the weakening market control of travel agencies.

Every type of enterprise organizational form adapts to the tourism form. The economic organization of travel agencies is most suitable for sightseeing tourism. Under the dominance of sightseeing tourism in the 1980s and 1990s, the market control of travel agencies was very strong. In the 1980s, the market control rate of travel agencies could reach more than 90%. This year, Chinese tourism can recover to the level of 2019, with 6 billion domestic tourist visits, but the proportion of organized reception by travel agencies is very low, only 5%. Many platform organizations, such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Ctrip, and Meituan, are constantly strengthening their market control. When the market control of travel agencies, the core enterprises adapting to sightseeing tourism, is greatly weakened, we can make a judgment that the resort era has begun.

The fourth phenomenon is the accelerating speed of deep integration in tourism.

In the era of sightseeing tourism, tourism did not require integration. With travel agencies, hotels, and scenic spots, we could carry out tourism activities. However, now, tourism integration has become an important content in the development of the tourism industry and the main theme of tourism development. Because only through integration can various tourism formats that match the resort tourism era be formed. We can see that in recent years, relevant departments have been emphasizing the issue of tourism integration, the integration of tourism and sports, tourism and education, tourism and transportation, tourism and health, and tourism and culture. When a society places great emphasis on tourism integration in tourism development, we can judge that the resort era has begun.

The fifth phenomenon is the continuous rise of skill-based tourism demand.

We know that there are two forms of tourism: one is physical tourism, and the other is skill-based tourism. Sightseeing tourism is a physical tourism; you can play as long as you have the physical strength. Another type of tourism is called skill-based tourism, which requires mastering a certain skill to play, such as skiing, mountaineering, surfing, and flying. These tourism demands rely on mastering a specific skill. In recent years, the growth rate of skill-based tourism demand has been very fast. It not only creates new ways to play or new tourism products but also creates new tracks for tourism development. From the basic experience of international tourism development, when a society's demand for skill-based tourism is rapidly growing, it indicates that the resort era has arrived.

The sixth phenomenon is the increasing demand for independent, personalized, and customized tourism.

In the past seven or eight years, the market for large-scale group tours has become increasingly bleak, while personalized and customized tours focusing on individual tourism needs have increased. When the organizational methods change, we can also make a judgment that the resort era has begun.

The seventh phenomenon is the continuous expansion of tourism boundaries.

In the era of sightseeing tourism, tourism has "boundaries." This boundary is the "boundary" of small-scale tourism. When we talk about the tourism industry, it refers to hotels, travel agencies, and scenic spots. We can clearly define the boundaries of tourism. In recent years, the boundaries of tourism have been continuously expanding, and now it is difficult to say exactly where the "boundary" of tourism is. When a society's tourism boundaries continue to expand, it also indicates the arrival of the resort tourism era.

The last phenomenon is that current tourism, whether in urban areas or scenic spots, has entered the stage of scenario-based consumption.

As we all know, the development of tourist attractions and urban areas has gone through three stages: the first stage considered its architecture and space; the second stage considered its landscape and formats; the third stage, which has emerged in recent years, considers its scenarios and atmosphere. Scenario-based tourism has become a goal pursued by tourism in recent years. When tourism enters a state of scenario-based consumption, it can be judged that sightseeing tourism has entered the second half, because the further extension of the atmosphere included in the scenario will inevitably lead to a functional resort tourism stage.

Based on the above phenomena, we can make a judgment that China's resort tourism era has arrived. Since the resort tourism era has arrived, the next major issue for high-quality development of Chinese tourism is to build a complete spatial system, product system, and industrial system suitable for the needs of resort tourism nationwide to adapt to the requirements of our time.

Why is this so? Because our current spatial system, product system, and industrial system are basically products of the sightseeing tourism era. Sightseeing tourism requires scenic spots, while resort tourism requires resort areas. There are currently 16,000 A-level scenic spots nationwide. Compared with scenic spots, there are still very few resort areas. The products we have formed around resort tourism are not abundant, and the industrial system around resort tourism is incomplete. Therefore, after the resort era arrives, how to form a tourism spatial system, product system, and industrial system around the needs of resort tourism will play a crucial role in the next step of high-quality development of Chinese tourism.

First, let's give a basic definition of resort tourism. Resort tourism, as commonly understood, refers to tourism activities whose main purpose is leisure, relaxation, and enjoyment. The core of resort tourism lies in providing tourists with activities and projects that allow them to escape the pressures of daily work and pursue psychological and physiological pleasure. Resort tourists usually choose places with specific natural environments and climatic conditions, such as beaches, mountainous areas, and hot spring resorts. These places can provide tourists with activities such as sports, health preservation, wellness, leisure, and hiking. From this perspective, entering the resort tourism era basically fits the essence of tourism.

What is tourism? Tourism is a consumption phenomenon squeezed out by industrialization and urbanization. People want to temporarily escape the mode of industrial production to find a natural environment and climatic conditions different from their city to achieve harmony within themselves. For example, the Changbai Mountain skiing season has already begun, and many skiers in Changbai Mountain come from Guangdong and Shanghai because its spatial environment is different from that of Guangdong and Shanghai. Therefore, we call it resort tourism.

In terms of basic forms, tourism can be divided into sightseeing tourism, resort tourism, and health tourism. I believe that resort tourism is merely an intermediate stage in the transition from sightseeing tourism to health tourism, and it will move towards health tourism in the future. The core elements of the three different forms of tourism—sightseeing, resort, and health—are different. The reason why each type of tourism can develop and attract tourists is key to its core elements.

What are the core elements of sightseeing tourism? It's the landscape. Without good landscapes, especially breathtaking landscapes, sightseeing is difficult to develop. Landscape is the core element of sightseeing tourism. In many 5A-level scenic spots in China, the landscape value, scarcity, and uniqueness are very strong. The Terracotta Army, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Mount Tai, Mount Huangshan, Mount Wuyi, Zhangjiajie, and the Li River in Guilin... Why are people willing to travel there? It's because of its special landscapes. When evaluating high-level scenic spots, the landscape value must be considered first, so sightseeing tourism relies on landscapes.

Resort tourism is not about landscapes; it considers the environment. Environmental indicators include climate, temperature and humidity, and altitude. Because different altitudes have different climatic conditions, the content of negative ions and the green vegetation of the micro-environment are different. Therefore, resort tourists are willing to go to places with beautiful environments, especially places that have not undergone large-scale industrialization, which are often natural and good resort spaces. Therefore, resort tourism considers the environment.

What does health tourism consider? It considers function. Generally speaking, health tourism includes sports, health preservation, and medical care. To develop health tourism, we must consider what functions are available. For example, for sub-healthy groups with poor sleep, through products and projects, or even through different altitudes and different vegetation, including diet, we can improve people's sleep. If we can solve problems such as cardiovascular disease and hypertension through dietary therapy, medical treatment, and various sports projects, we can win the market. Therefore, health tourism considers function. These are three different elements.

The focus of operations is also different. What is the focus of sightseeing tourism? It's management. Sightseeing tourism mainly focuses on managing tourists during different seasons, especially peak tourist seasons. Once a scenic area reaches its maximum carrying capacity, how to use reservations and dispersal to solve this problem, and how to effectively organize the various nodes of the entire scenic area are key issues; therefore, the focus is on management. The focus of resort tourism is on service; whether it can provide standardized, refined, and personalized services is the key. The focus of health tourism relies on integration. Health tourism requires many business formats, and only through the integration of tourism and related industries can the needs of health tourism be met, such as the integration of tourism and sports, tourism and health, etc.

Not only are the business focuses different, but the spatial forms are also different. The spatial form of sightseeing tourism is a scenic area, the spatial form of resort tourism is a resort area, and the spatial form of health tourism is a base.

Resort tourism, sightseeing tourism, and health tourism also have different core indicators. Sightseeing tourism considers the visitation rate, resort tourism considers the overnight stay rate, and health tourism considers the repeat visitation rate. For example, for sightseeing tourism in a scenic area, the number of people to be received in a year is considered. In recent years, many leading scenic areas have reached new highs; Mount Tai has exceeded 8 million visitors. Resort tourism considers the overnight stay rate. If tens of thousands of people come to a resort area but do not stay overnight, or the proportion of overnight stays is very small, it is not a resort area. Health tourism considers the repeat visitation rate—how many times someone visits in a year. For example, for ski tourism, especially niche ski enthusiasts, they have to go to Changbaishan every year, so the repeat visitation rate is very high.

What are the basic trends in the development of resort tourism currently?

To summarize, there are roughly several trends:

First, it is transitioning from conceptual research to practical operation. Resort tourism in our country developed relatively late. Although we established national resort areas in the last century, at that time they were actually development zones. Compared with sightseeing tourism, our resort tourism has developed relatively late, which is in line with the process of tourism development in our country. For any country's tourism, it gradually transitions from primary sightseeing tourism to resort tourism and then to health tourism. Therefore, in terms of proposing or implementing resort tourism in our country, it has only been a matter of the past ten years or so. Judging from the current situation, our resort tourism is in a stage where the research on what constitutes resort tourism, its business models, and product forms is gradually being translated into practice. What is the spatial form of resort tourism? What are the product forms? How is the industry to be constructed? And what are its business models or service models? How is it different from sightseeing tourism? Therefore, our resort tourism is in a process of transitioning from conceptual research to industrial practice or social practice. As the demand for resort tourism grows, research on supply and service business models will further mature.

Second, the spatial form of resort tourism is gradually forming resort areas and integrated resorts. This includes our rural resort areas and larger-scale national resort areas; the scales of these three different forms are different. A resort area is basically a resort unit; an integrated resort is slightly larger. Of course, many integrated resorts have entertainment elements, such as Disney and Universal Studios. Currently in China, around Taihu Lake, there are many national-level resort areas, many 5A scenic areas, and many national-level leisure districts. The concept of Taihu Lake has basically formed the concept of a national resort area. Sanya, Hainan is also basically the same. With the development of the demand for resort tourism and its becoming a popular resort demand, creating national resort areas will inevitably be a problem we need to consider. The next step is how to adapt to resort tourism to create our resort spaces, especially large-scale resort spaces, which is probably a problem that needs to be urgently addressed.

Third, the diversification or multiplicity of resort resources. Unlike sightseeing tourism, resort tourism targets different groups, and many resources can become resort resources. For example, climate and snow are very important resources in winter. Rivers, seas, lakes, and springs are also important resort resources, including mountains, forests, grasslands, wetlands, rural countryside, urban districts, celestial phenomena, and stars. Of course, even more important are cultural resorts centered on traditional Chinese culture and Confucian culture. From this point of view, the resources on which resort tourism relies are diverse. For example, climate is not emphasized in sightseeing tourism, but it is a very important resource in resort tourism. In winter, there is a two-way flow; some people go to Hainan, and some go to Northeast China. This is determined by the climate. Geography and altitude are also issues. In sightseeing tourism, they are not important resources, but in resort tourism, geography and altitude are very important concepts, especially if you want to develop health and wellness tourism. Health tourism is best at altitudes above 1000 meters; this altitude is most suitable for health tourism. Celestial phenomena and stars are also important resort resources. Therefore, from this perspective, the types of resources relied upon by resort tourism are far greater than those of sightseeing tourism.

Fourth, resort tourism has an independent layout around various tourism elements. Resort tourism is function-centered, and each element can become a resource relied upon by the resort.

Fifth, clustering and the formation of large-scale regional or national resort areas. Within the next 5 or 10 years, larger-scale regional or national resort areas will inevitably be formed. Taihu Lake has basically formed a concept. In China, three major areas can be formed: one is the Bohai Rim, such as Dalian, Weihai, and Qingdao, including Yantai, which concentrates countless resort hotels; another is along Taihu Lake; and the third is the Hainan area. We can also foresee that many rural resort areas will emerge, such as Moganshan in Zhejiang, which is a rural resort area of a certain scale. Therefore, clustered development is also a very important trend.

Sixth, the diversification of vacation methods. In terms of resort tourism, it can not only be made into a lifestyle but also a learning method and a growth method. That is, resort projects and products are centered around lifestyle, learning methods, and growth methods. For example, we are currently entering a society with a deep aging population. After retirement, the elderly still have a long lifespan, but many elderly people lack basic knowledge of health. Then, we can build a resort for the elderly, using a week or longer to provide training on health knowledge and a scientific lifestyle. This provides both a vacation and knowledge, making it a learning method. We can also use traditional Chinese culture and Confucian culture, calligraphy, painting, and Qigong to cultivate one's character and health, making this a learning method.

Seventh, the functionalization of themes. Resort tourism is only a transitional stage; in the future, it will develop towards health tourism, and the functionalization of themes will inevitably be a major issue. Resorting around a certain theme or function, such as skiing, mountain climbing, flying, surfing, skateboarding, and outdoor sports, or resorting around health and wellness to address certain problems related to sub-health.

Eighth, branding. For China's vacation tourism to become powerfully attractive in the future, it must emphasize vacation brands. The development of vacation brands is a major issue and is key to forming regional, national, and even global influence and competitiveness. Vacation tourism has developed rapidly in recent years, with high-end themed hotels and boutique hotels merely representing the facilities; however, the branding of vacation products, vacation destinations, and vacation projects is a complex entity. This is a key point for the high-quality development of China's vacation tourism in the next step.

Ninth, the development of skill-based products. How vacation areas or resorts develop skill-based vacation products has become key to improving the overall level of vacation consumption. Through the development of skill-based vacation products, or the development of learning-type products, the overall consumption of vacation tourism can be greatly enhanced. We must shift from selling houses in vacation areas to selling projects, products, services, and experiences.

Tenth, the vacation tourism product system is under construction. Currently, there are many vacation products, including medical vacation products, health-preservation vacation products, cultural vacation products, migratory bird-style vacation products, skill-based vacation products, rural vacation products, research-study-tour vacation products, and ecological vacation products. These products are being implemented in various places, and with the development of our vacation tourism, China's vacation tourism product system is being constructed, and some places are doing quite well.

Eleventh, a Chinese-style vacation culture is taking shape. I believe that China's vacation culture is the most competitive. The integration of landscape culture, traditional Chinese medicine culture, and traditional Chinese scholarly culture creates a Chinese-style vacation culture. Compared with the vacation culture of Western countries, ours has richer cultural connotations, greater vitality, and stronger competitiveness. Because traditional Chinese medicine culture, Chinese classical scholarship, and traditional culture emphasize systematic conditioning for people's health, emphasizing the harmony of the individual, which is consistent with the concepts of vacation tourism and health tourism. If these are organically combined with modern tourism needs, it will not only be powerfully attractive to domestic vacationers but will also attract foreign vacationers, especially those from Western countries, to come to China to enjoy Chinese-style vacation activities. Currently, in creating world-class vacation areas, I believe that creating world-class Chinese-style vacation culture is important. Once a Chinese-style vacation culture is formed, it will inevitably be world-class.

Twelfth, the service model or business model of vacation tourism is under discussion. The business model of vacation tourism and sightseeing tourism is bound to be different. To summarize: First, many vacation areas are exploring an all-inclusive business and service model, where not only accommodation but also all vacation projects in the resort area, including dining, are included in one price, hence the name "all-inclusive" business model. Second, one-stop service. For example, during the ski season, adults are busy with work and have no time, while children are keen on skiing, so they send their children on a plane to Changbai Mountain, and the resort begins service, picking up the children, sending videos to the parents about their daily activities, and then sending the children back to the airport after two weeks. This kind of one-stop service is a method adopted by resorts, and it is currently being explored in various places. Another example is that for cross-regional vacations, we have borrowed the timeshare vacation and fractional ownership vacation business model that has been formed in Europe.

Thirteenth, green development. Vacation tourism strongly emphasizes green and low-carbon practices. How we can achieve ecological vacation tourism development, green vacation tourism operations, and low-carbon vacation tourism consumption in the future has become a very important concept in the development of vacation tourism.

What issues should be considered in the construction of vacation tourism destinations? Generally speaking, tourism destinations inevitably involve two core issues. One issue involves the type of resources and geographical form: What kind of vacation destination is it? Is it natural, historical, or cultural? The form is different, and the scale varies; is it global, national, or regional? The second issue involves the market group and tourism type. Historical and cultural heritage, entertainment, shopping, food, and sporting events are all core elements that attract vacation destinations. Therefore, creating a vacation destination requires a prominent image, distinctive culture, clear regional characteristics, and a very good humanistic environment. Outstanding locational advantages, complete vacation tourism resources, a long and profound history and culture, and a good natural ecological environment are the conditions for a tourism destination.

Whether it's a resort or a vacation area, the tourism formats of vacation tourism are crucial. Why does vacation tourism emphasize integration? Only through integration can a rich variety of vacation tourism formats be formed. This involves the issue of how to innovate and improve vacation tourism formats. When we talk about tourism formats, we are actually talking about the forms and states of tourism businesses. The tourism formats we require are:

First, suitable resources, matching needs, and sustainable benefits. Many vacation projects are unsuitable for the resources, do not match the needs, and will not generate sustainable benefits. How do we find the right formats for vacation areas? Generally, we look at four aspects: tourism forms, tourism integration, tourism elements, and tourism methods. For example, by adjusting changes in tourism forms, we can create the formats of vacation areas or destinations, such as leisure vacations, winter and summer vacations, health vacations, and research-study-tour vacations. The products, projects, and hotel forms created by different tourism forms should also be different.

Second, based on the independent development trend of tourism elements, we should explore the six elements of food, accommodation, transportation, tours, shopping, and entertainment to enhance the tourism formats of vacation areas.

Third, enhance the tourism format system based on the laws of integration. First, the integration of tourism and culture, forming a vacation tourism product and spatial system with cultural purposes. To do this, we must deeply explore the local religion, customs, history, and culture, utilizing the content contained in traditional culture such as tea ceremony, food, sports, literature, and calligraphy, combining them with market demand and vacation needs to form various vacation tourism formats. This is a major undertaking. Second, the integration of tourism and medicine, forming a product and spatial system for traditional Chinese medicine vacations, combining the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine with vacation tourism, and developing green planting, ecological farming, ecological sightseeing, and farming experiences to form various health tourism formats. Third, the integration of tourism and ecology, forming a product and spatial system for ecological vacation tourism. Relying on a good geographical form, climate, and ecological environment to build ecological vacations, hot spring vacations, and rural vacations. Fourth, the integration of tourism and sports, which has the largest market, forming a product and spatial system for sports-type vacation tourism, relying on mountain ranges, canyons, and water bodies to develop mountain sports, water sports, outdoor sports, orienteering, health-preserving sports, and extreme sports. Fifth, the integration of tourism and health, forming a product system for health-preserving vacation tourism, using knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, nutrition, and psychology, combined with the physiological characteristics of the human body, to conduct drug rehabilitation and treatment, combined with tourism activities for rehabilitation and health preservation. Sixth, the integration of tourism and education, forming a product and spatial system for research-study-tour vacation tourism. This market is huge; research-study-tour tourism is not only for students, but also for the elderly. As our country ages, the demand for research-study-tour tourism for the elderly to obtain knowledge about health is very large. Seventh, the integration of tourism and rural areas, forming a product and spatial system for rural health tourism. Using rural countryside as a living space, and farming activities as content, returning to nature, cultivating oneself, and leisure vacations is also a very large market.

Vacation travel is a major topic. The future vacation era of Chinese tourism is of great significance to the in-depth development of Chinese tourism, the enrichment of tourism formats, the improvement of quality and efficiency of Chinese tourism, and the satisfaction of the needs of mass tourism. Colleagues in the tourism industry should be prepared to embrace the arrival of the Chinese vacation tourism era!