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Forward-Looking Layout! Interpretation of Six Major Trends in Tourism Development in 2025

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2025-01-09

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Editor-in-Chief | Yang Ming

Editor | Jing Xiangyuan

Source | PBD笨鸟设计

At the National Tourism Development Conference held on May 17, 2024, it was clearly pointed out that the tourism industry has become a new and emerging strategic pillar industry in China. Simultaneously, at the Central Economic Work Conference held from December 11 to 12, 2024, work deployments were made around boosting consumption and improving investment efficiency, proposing the need to innovate diversified consumption scenarios, expand service consumption, promote the development of the cultural tourism industry, and actively develop the first-mover economy, ice and snow economy, and silver-haired economy. The tourism industry has become a new and emerging strategic pillar industry in China. To further improve the modern tourism industry system and accelerate the construction of a strong tourism country, it is necessary to rely on continuous innovation and the continuous expansion of diversified development paths of "tourism+". Looking forward to 2025, the tourism industry will face new development opportunities and challenges. This article will combine industry practical experience and personal analysis to delve into the six major trends in tourism development in 2025, in order to provide the industry with forward-looking thinking and practical guidance.

Low-Altitude Economy

Low-Altitude Experiences: A Different Perspective on Tourist Destinations

From its first inclusion in the government report at the beginning of 2024 to the establishment of the Low-Altitude Economy Development Department at the end of the year, it can be seen that the "low-altitude economy" is quietly rising, with strong momentum. Currently, drones are widely used in photography, agriculture, logistics, surveying and mapping, disaster relief, and even artistic performances. In the future, the application scenarios of the low-altitude economy will be further expanded, and low-altitude aircraft (such as helicopters, aircraft, hot air balloons, etc.) in the tourism field will become an important component, providing tourists with unique aerial sightseeing experiences. In 2025, with the maturity of technology, air tourism will become more popular. Tourists will not only be able to enjoy traditional urban or natural landscapes but will also be able to choose more personalized and customized flight routes.

The low-altitude economy will be highly integrated with ecological tourism, especially in air tourism in nature reserves and uninhabited areas. Tourists can use low-altitude aircraft to appreciate natural landscapes, wildlife, or hiking destinations without disturbing the ecological environment.

Drones will not only be used for air tourism but will also play an important role in tourism services in the future. For example, drones in tourist attractions can be used for rapid delivery of tourist goods, such as food and beverages, souvenirs, and first-aid kits, improving tourists' convenience and satisfaction.

First-Mover Economy

Tourism First-Mover Economy: Enjoying Unprecedented Travel Fun

"First-mover economy" is a newly emerging economic concept that has gradually emerged in China in recent years, particularly attracting attention in the fields of consumption, tourism, and entertainment. The core of the first-mover economy lies in the concept of "first-mover," satisfying consumers' demand for fresh and unique products through new formats, models, services, and technologies, attracting consumers' attention and desire to purchase, and leading the transformation of consumption concepts.

The core of the tourism first-mover economy is to create "freshness" and "uniqueness" through the debut of tourist destinations, routes, or projects, allowing them to quickly attract attention in the market. Unlike traditional tourism marketing, the tourism first-mover economy emphasizes "first-time experience" and "innovative experience," incorporating creativity, innovation, and creation into tourism elements and achieving optimal coupling through brand value and regional resources to form new thematic cultural consumption scenarios.

With consumers' pursuit of fresh, unique, and personalized experiences, the tourism first-mover economy will increasingly become an important weapon in the competition of the tourism industry. In the future, the tourism industry will pay more attention to innovation. In addition to traditional attractions and routes, it may also develop new tourism products with more cultural, environmental, or high-tech elements. While attracting tourists through first-mover activities, data analysis, customized services, and virtual reality technologies can be used to further enhance tourists' sense of participation and satisfaction.

Silver-Haired Economy

The Aging Market Becomes a Future Strategic Focus for Tourism

According to the National Health Commission's calculations, China is expected to enter the moderately aged stage during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). Around 2035, the population aged 60 and above will exceed 400 million, accounting for more than 30% of the total population, entering the severely aged stage. China's Generation X and Generation Y benefited from reform and opening up, accumulating wealth. They use smartphones, book hotels themselves, know how to enjoy life, and choose tourism to spend their retirement lives.

Currently, the railway department has created tourist trains, with the elderly becoming the main force of these trains. Tourist trains offer all-inclusive tickets and flexible itineraries, and passengers have their own exclusive berths. The integrated development of "railways + tourism" provides "silver-haired people" with a slow-paced and comfortable travel experience.

Elderly tourism is increasingly showing the characteristics of "slow travel." Compared with the fast-paced travel style of young tourists, they prefer travel experiences with relaxed itineraries and a slow pace, usually hoping to have more free time for activities. When choosing tourist destinations, elderly tourists pay more attention to physical and mental health and tend to choose places with beautiful environments and pleasant climates, especially resorts with health and wellness functions, to meet their leisure and health care needs.

With the continuous growth of the elderly's seasonal travel, residence, and resort retirement needs, some areas with suitable climates are working to provide elderly people with more comprehensive "living, travel, medical care, nursing, and transportation" integrated services through urban renewal and other means, thus creating elderly-friendly travel and resort destinations. This can not only meet the needs of elderly tourists but also help promote the integrated development of local tourism and the elderly care industry.

In the future, in terms of tourism infrastructure construction, tourist destinations need to follow the principle of universal accessibility design to ensure the convenience and suitability of facilities for the elderly, fully considering the special needs of the elderly. In terms of services, scenic areas should focus on improving convenience and safety. For example, the guidance system in scenic areas should use large fonts and clear signs, equipped with voice guidance devices to facilitate elderly tourists in easily obtaining information. At the same time, given the lower familiarity of elderly tourists with the operation of smart devices, the aging-friendly transformation of online platforms should be strengthened, and offline scenic area facilities and service models should be optimized to improve their ease of use and friendliness, further enhancing the overall tourism experience of elderly tourists.

Emotional Consumption

Travel Styles That Capture the Hearts of Young People

Judging from the popularity of buzzwords such as "special forces travel," "concert tourism," "Citywalk," and "village super league" in 2024, the tourism consumption behavior of the younger generation is undergoing profound changes. They are more willing to pay for enriching their lives, pursuing self-expression, and personalized experiences. Compared with traditional sightseeing tourism, modern tourists are more inclined to define their travel purposes through a concert, a meal, or even a game. Behind this change reflects the continuous improvement of emotional needs.

In today's era where "scene is king," the core competitiveness of tourism is gradually shifting towards scene experience and emotional feeling. High-quality tourism products and services should not only provide beautiful scenery but also evoke emotional resonance in tourists. In the future, tourist attractions will need to carefully create iconic attractions and scenic landmarks, integrating the thematic content and emotional value of the scenic area to enhance the emotional connection between tourists and the destination, achieving deep empathy.

To meet tourists' needs for freshness and personalized experiences, tourism products need to constantly innovate in the integration of cultural elements and the application of new technologies. By holding characteristic activities, performances, and interactive experiences, tourist destinations can create travel experiences full of emotional appeal. In such a scene full of emotional tension, tourists will naturally resonate emotionally, thereby stimulating their desire to consume.

The Rise of Niche Tourist Destinations

Leveraging Online Marketing to Create Phenomenal Tourist Destinations

In recent years, some cities and counties known as "treasured small towns" have gradually emerged with their unique regional resources. As the modern tourism concept continues to mature, the traditional urban tourism model is no longer the primary choice. People are gradually inclined to seek "niche" destinations with beautiful scenery and local characteristics. These places are not only suitable for short trips but also for longer stays and experiences. The rise of niche tourist destinations is not accidental but the result of the combined effects of multiple factors. On the one hand, the continuous improvement of transportation and infrastructure allows people to reach these destinations more conveniently; on the other hand, the popularity of the Internet has enabled the unique charm of these niche tourist destinations to be widely disseminated, attracting the attention of more and more tourists.

In this context, niche cities have enormous development potential. They should delve deeper into the sub-sectors of the tourism industry, broaden their horizons to a wider future, and actively respond to the trend of the tourism market increasingly leaning towards personalization, niche markets, and comfort. Taking this opportunity, niche destinations should seize the momentum, strive to promote the transformation and upgrading of the tourism industry, and develop from a single tourism experience to a more high-quality and characteristic "boutique tourism" to meet people's growing needs for a better life.

At the same time, in order to improve tourism quality and expand market share, niche cities need to make positive improvements and enhancements in multiple aspects. First, it is necessary to strengthen the in-depth excavation of cultural resources to enhance the cultural heritage and uniqueness of the destination. Second, it is necessary to continuously improve infrastructure construction, improve the overall level of transportation convenience, accommodation conditions, and tourist services. In addition, ecological protection is also crucial; it is necessary to ensure the protection of the natural environment while developing the tourism industry. Finally, measures such as innovating tourism products, strengthening regional cooperation, and improving service and management levels will all help to promote the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of the tourism industry in niche cities.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Empowers the Take-off of the Tourism Industry

Currently, AI has been gradually applied to the tourism industry. For tourists, people use AI tools to generate travel guides, greatly improving the efficiency of tourists' itinerary planning and significantly enhancing their satisfaction. For tourism service providers, scenic areas are gradually introducing intelligent guided tour services and providing virtual tourism experience projects to ensure that tourists receive high-quality sightseeing experiences. In 2025, China's artificial intelligence industry will enter a period of deep integration and development, and the market size is expected to exceed 700 billion yuan. This development will be characterized by continuous iteration of large models, accelerated landing of terminal intelligence, and deep integration of industries, but computing power bottlenecks and application deepening still need to be overcome, reflecting the industry's characteristics of "rapid technological advancement and gradual application."

With the continuous advancement of AI technology, tourism products and services will become more personalized. AI can analyze tourists' preferences, historical travel records, behavioral habits, and other information to customize exclusive travel plans. Personalized recommendation systems will become more accurate, covering accommodation, transportation, dining, activities, and other aspects, and can be adjusted in real-time to meet changing user needs.

AR and VR technologies will be widely used in tourism experiences. Tourists can use VR devices for virtual travel and experience remote attractions or use AR technology at tourist destinations to obtain real-time tourism information, navigation services, historical and cultural introductions, etc., using their mobile phones or smart glasses. This will make travel more interactive and immersive.

In terms of scenic area management, AI will be used in multiple aspects such as tourist flow management, ticket sales, and tourist behavior analysis. For example, using facial recognition technology for quick ticket checking and using Internet of Things technology and AI data analysis to optimize tourist queuing experiences and crowded situations. At the same time, AI can also help scenic areas dynamically adjust tourist flow to avoid the pressure caused by over-tourism on scenic areas.

In general, the development of AI in the tourism field in 2025 will focus more on enhancing tourists' personalized experiences, optimizing resource allocation, improving safety, and contributing to green and sustainable development. The further integration of AI technology will drive the tourism industry towards a more intelligent, efficient, and personalized direction, improving the overall quality of tourism services and user satisfaction.

Summary

By 2025, the tourism industry will usher in breakthrough development in multiple areas. Low-altitude economy and first-mover economy will become new highlights. Low-altitude flights and aerial sightseeing will provide tourists with new perspectives and unique experiences, and the first-mover economy will continuously innovate tourism experiences, expanding the boundaries of the tourism industry. At the same time, the silver-haired market is gradually becoming an important consumer force, and customized, healthy, and comfortable tourism products for the elderly will grow rapidly, with the elderly population's demand for high-quality tourism experiences surging. The trend of emotional consumption is also becoming increasingly apparent, with young people pursuing personalization and emotional resonance, and emotion-driven travel and immersive experiences becoming their mainstream choices. Niche tourist destinations are rapidly emerging with the help of social media and precise marketing, providing unique tourism experiences and attracting tourists seeking differentiation. Finally, the deep application of artificial intelligence will drive the intelligent upgrading of the tourism industry, from AI recommendations and intelligent customer service to big data analysis, improving tourist experience and industry efficiency, and driving the tourism industry towards a more personalized and convenient direction. These trends will jointly shape the future landscape of the tourism industry.

Special Research on Investment in the Culture and Tourism Industry

To gain a deeper understanding of the investment and development of the culture 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 culture and tourism industry, and sincerely invites all member units and culture and tourism enterprises to participate in the research.

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