Reporter: What is the background and purpose of the new standard?

Answer: The national standard for "Grading and Assessment of Tourism Scenic Area Quality" has provided important technical guidance for the scientific construction and quality improvement of tourism scenic areas, and its role in guiding the standardized development of tourism scenic areas is very significant. After the release and implementation of the standard, the scale of A-level tourist attractions in China has continued to expand, the types have become increasingly rich, the quality has been significantly improved, the development space has gradually expanded, and the management system has become more diversified. It has become a core element in driving the development of the tourism industry, and its leading role and social contribution have further strengthened.

However, the 2003 version of the standard has been in effect for more than 20 years. During this period, China's economic and social situation, tourism market demand, and the development trend of tourism scenic areas have undergone a series of significant changes. Especially in the new development stage, the culture and tourism industry is implementing the new development concept, integrating into the new development pattern, promoting the deep integration of culture and tourism, strengthening technological empowerment, promoting green development, focusing on improving the modern tourism industry system, accelerating the construction of a strong tourism country, and promoting the steady and far-reaching high-quality development of the tourism industry. Against this background, the 2003 version of the standard can no longer adapt to the new characteristics of the times, tourist needs, and the requirements for the development of scenic areas. To some extent, there are problems such as unclear functional positioning, insufficient strengthening of core products, insufficiently obvious effects of grade distinction, and weakened standard-leading role. Therefore, it is necessary to revise the standard.

In order to better adapt to the characteristics of the new era and the requirements of tourism development, strengthen the technical guidance and normative guidance of the standard, improve the management and service level of tourism scenic areas, promote the high-quality development of tourism scenic areas, and better meet the tourism needs of the people, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism organized relevant units to revise the standard. Through active promotion and collective wisdom from the industry, the text of the new standard was formed. In August this year, the new standard was approved and released by the State Administration for Market Regulation and will be officially implemented on March 1, 2025.

Reporter: What is the significance of the release of the new standard?

Answer: The release of the new standard is an important measure to fully implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on tourism work, better respond to the requirements and market needs of the new era, and accelerate the high-quality development of tourism scenic areas. Its significance is mainly reflected in the following three aspects:

First, it is conducive to further promoting the improvement of the development level of tourism scenic areas. It actively guides tourism scenic areas to adhere to the people-centered development concept, strengthen sightseeing service functions, comprehensively improve the management, service, and operation levels of tourism scenic areas, promote tourism scenic areas to advance ecological civilization construction, strengthen smart applications, promote the deep integration of culture and tourism, enhance the sustainable and high-quality development capabilities of tourism scenic areas, and better meet the tourism consumption needs and the needs for a better life of the people.

Second, it is conducive to the cultural and tourism departments to standardize scenic area management. The new standard further clarifies the bottom-line requirements and management requirements for resource and environmental protection, tourism safety, and service quality of tourism scenic areas, which is conducive to further strengthening the standardization and management of tourism scenic area quality grading work. At the same time, the new standard further strengthens the distinction between scenic areas of different grades, which is also conducive to guiding the adjustment of the quantity and grade structure of tourism scenic areas and promoting the optimization of the industry's development pattern.

Third, it is conducive to tourism scenic areas playing a core driving role and improving their comprehensive contribution. Tourism scenic areas are the core attraction elements of tourist destinations. They are both the main body of tourism product supply and the base of tourism consumption; they have both natural spaces and historical sites, as well as contemporary life scenes; they are both important carriers for inheriting and carrying forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture and important positions for practicing the core socialist values. We hope that the release of the new standard can further leverage the comprehensive radiation effect and gathering and driving effect of tourism scenic areas, promote scenic areas to release platform and window effects, strengthen their role in ecological civilization construction, protection and inheritance of excellent traditional Chinese culture, promoting consumption upgrades, driving economic development, creating job opportunities, improving quality of life, building spiritual homes, showcasing the image of China (region), promoting cultural exchanges, and actively contributing to regional development and the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

Reporter: Please introduce the main ideas of the revision of the new standard.

Answer: The revision ideas of the new standard can be summarized as "focusing on three guidances," "clarifying three requirements," and "adhering to four principles."

(1) Focusing on three guidances. First, it guides tourism scenic areas to establish correct development concepts and resource concepts and adopt scientific methods for resource protection and development and utilization. Second, it guides tourism scenic areas to adapt to functional transformation. Tourism scenic areas have gone from early foreign affairs windows to actively integrating into the market, and are now entering a stage of strengthening safety responsibilities and comprehensive functions. Third, it guides tourism scenic areas to pay attention to market demand, from the past simple pursuit of "crowds" to now emphasizing modern service concepts and product concepts, pursuing supply-demand matching, rich experiences, quality improvement, consumption upgrades, and high-quality development. Tourism scenic areas need to step out of their comfort zones and actively adapt to these new requirements and expectations.

(2) Clarifying three requirements. First, adhering to the combination of inheritance and innovation. The original standard has been implemented for many years, with good market recognition and high popularity. The new standard inherits the successful experience of the 2003 version of the standard, retains its reasonable content, continues its basic framework and form, and maintains the continuity of the standard and the creation of A-level scenic areas to the greatest extent. At the same time, combined with the new situation, new characteristics, and new needs, it adds content such as "integration of culture and tourism" and "smart tourism" to continuously improve the content of the standard. Second, adhering to the unity of quality and effectiveness. Taking the leading high-quality development of tourism scenic areas as the main line, adhering to quality first, reflecting the benchmark nature of high-level scenic areas, especially 5A-level scenic areas. It clarifies the functional positioning of tourism scenic areas and the basic elements of scenic area construction, and reasonably sets nine major items for the grading of tourism scenic area quality, clarifying the construction content and specific requirements of tourism scenic areas of different grades, thereby improving the applicability and implementation effectiveness of the standard. Third, adhering to the coordination of commonality and individuality. The new standard strengthens the prerequisites around the common characteristics of tourism scenic areas, while taking into account the individual differences of tourism scenic areas of different grades, constructing a scientific, standardized, content-matched, and complementary and coordinated content system, making the revised results of the standard an organically unified whole.

(3) Adherence to Four Principles. Firstly, the principle of adapting to the times. Adhering to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, guided by Xi Jinping's thinking on culture, upholding the core socialist values, and centering on the people, actively responding to the changing trends of upgraded tourism consumption demands in the new era, guiding tourism scenic areas and related services towards high-quality, characteristic, intelligent, and efficient development. Secondly, the principle of scientific regulation. The new Standard was revised in accordance with the Standardization Law of the People's Republic of China and the Guiding Principles for Standardization Work, adhering to demand orientation, problem orientation, and goal orientation, respecting development needs, market laws, the actual situation of scenic areas, and the basis of standards, scientifically revising and reasonably optimizing the standards to ensure the scientific nature, standardization, and guidance of the new Standard. Thirdly, the principle of universal applicability. The standard should conform to China's national conditions and adapt to the needs of the construction, management, and development of tourism scenic areas of different types, levels, and regions. It should fully consider the increasingly diversified trend of tourism scenic area types under the background of "tourism +" and "+ tourism," moderately advance and encourage innovative development of scenic areas, and fully consider the stage of economic and social development in China and the imbalance in the development of tourism scenic areas across the country, avoiding setting unrealistically high conditions and requirements, so that the new Standard has strong applicability. Fourthly, the principle of operational feasibility. Avoid overly complex evaluation content and excessive evaluation indicators; focus on evaluating tourism scenic areas from a market perspective and setting evaluation indicators based on the needs of tourists; minimize subjective indicators and reduce the subjective arbitrariness of scoring, enhancing the verifiability and operability of the standard.

Reporter: Compared with the 2003 version of the standard, what are the main changes in this revised Standard?

Answer: Compared with the 2003 version of the standard, the new Standard has changed the name of the document to "Classification of Quality Grades of Tourist Scenic Areas," changed the terminology and definition of "tourist scenic areas," and emphasized that tourist scenic areas should mainly function as sightseeing services. At the same time, it has added the prerequisite conditions for the classification of quality grades of tourist scenic areas, reflecting new requirements such as ecological civilization construction, civilized tourism, practicing thrift, and high-quality development. It has added requirements for projects such as "cultural and tourism integration" and "smart tourism." Some optimizations and adjustments have also been made to the specific content. For example, the original "sightseeing" item has been refined into two parts: "sightseeing facilities" and "sightseeing services," and the content of convenient payment services has been added; "postal services" have been adjusted and included in "sightseeing services" and "smart tourism"; "tourism shopping" has been included in "sightseeing services"; and requirements such as peak tourist flow control have been added to "tourism safety."

Reporter: Why did the new Standard add prerequisite conditions for the classification of quality grades of tourist scenic areas? What are the specific contents?

Answer: The new Standard has added prerequisite conditions for the classification of quality grades of tourist scenic areas to objectively reflect the common characteristics of tourist scenic areas and strengthen the basic principles and common requirements that all levels of tourist scenic areas must abide by. There are a total of five prerequisite conditions, including the basic principles of sustainable and green development, the fundamental goal of providing high-quality facilities and experiences to meet the needs of the people's travel, the business orientation of honest operation, guiding civilized tourism and green consumption, the prerequisite of safe and open legal opening, and the credit guarantee of continuous and sound operation. All tourist scenic areas must fully meet the prerequisite conditions for grading before they can be graded and certified.

Reporter: What is the basis for the classification of quality grades of tourist scenic areas? What are the main distinguishing standards for scenic areas of different grades?

Answer: The new Standard continues the grading content of the 2003 version of the standard. The classification of quality grades of tourist scenic areas is still divided into five levels, from high to low: AAAAA (or 5A), AAAA (or 4A), AAA (or 3A), AA (or 2A), and A (or 1A) grade tourist scenic areas.

However, the basis for grading has been significantly adjusted. The new Standard requires that, on the basis of meeting the prerequisite conditions for grading, the resource value, tourism transportation, sightseeing facilities, sightseeing services, tourism safety, cultural and tourism integration, smart tourism, resource and environmental protection, and comprehensive management of nine items are used as specific grading conditions. Firstly, resource value, divided into tourism resource attractiveness and tourism market influence. Secondly, tourism transportation, proposing conditions for external transportation, traffic signs, and parking (boat) services. Thirdly, sightseeing facilities, proposing conditions for visitor centers, guidance systems, sightseeing routes and sightseeing vehicles, and sanitation and rest facilities. Fourthly, sightseeing services, proposing conditions for interpretation systems, interpreters, shopping services, catering services, and convenient services. Fifthly, tourism safety, proposing conditions for safety systems, safety facilities and signs, safety tips and education, and safety rescue and emergency handling. Sixthly, cultural and tourism integration, proposing conditions for cultural themes, cultural utilization, and cultural dissemination. Seventhly, smart tourism, proposing conditions for smart services, smart management, and smart marketing. Eighthly, resource and environmental protection, proposing conditions for environmental quality, environmental sanitation, resource protection, and environmental protection. Ninthly, comprehensive management, proposing conditions for management institutions and systems, employee management, marketing management, service quality supervision and management, and social benefits.

The new Standard further strengthens the differentiated characteristics and focus of the classification of quality grades of tourist scenic areas. 1A-grade scenic areas strengthen tourism safety and environmental sanitation; 2A-grade scenic areas strengthen tourism facilities and convenient services; 3A-grade scenic areas strengthen sightseeing services and comfortable experiences; 4A-grade scenic areas strengthen complete systems (elements) and high-quality services; and 5A-grade scenic areas strengthen cultural characteristics and smart tourism, further enhancing the distinction between different quality grades of tourist scenic areas and the effectiveness of grading.

Reporter: What orientations does the new Standard strengthen?

Answer: The new Standard mainly embodies "six strengthenings."

Firstly, strengthening prerequisite conditions, as the overall orientation, prerequisite conditions, and basic requirements for the classification of quality grades of scenic areas. Secondly, strengthening sightseeing services, emphasizing that they are based on natural, cultural, or other tourism attraction resources, have clear spatial boundaries and necessary tourism service facilities, mainly provide sightseeing services, highlight resource (landscape) value, and emphasize sightseeing facilities and interpretation services, to distinguish them from other types of tourism functional areas. Thirdly, strengthening cultural and tourism integration, proposing requirements for the cultural themes, cultural utilization, and cultural dissemination of tourist scenic areas, further highlighting the cultural personality of tourist scenic areas, expanding the cultural dissemination influence of tourist scenic areas, and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional culture. Fourthly, strengthening tourism safety, adding content such as tourist capacity management and peak tourist flow control, strengthening tourism safety management, safety rescue, and emergency handling. Fifthly, strengthening smart tourism, adding construction content and requirements for smart services, management, and marketing of tourist scenic areas in response to the construction of tourist scenic areas and tourism consumption needs in the information age. Sixthly, strengthening green development, paying attention to the ecological civilization construction and resource and environmental protection of tourist scenic areas, strengthening civilized tourism and green consumption, and enriching the content of comprehensive management.

Reporter: What are the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's next plans for implementing the new Standard?

Answer: Giving full play to the regulatory and guiding role of standards and promoting the high-quality development of the tourism industry are important current tasks. Next, to implement the new Standard well, we will focus on the following work:

Firstly, we will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on tourism work. Taking the promulgation of the new Standard as an opportunity, we will increase the publicity of the standard, guide local cultural and tourism administrative departments to strengthen the study, training, and implementation of the standard, and continuously strengthen the publicity and promotion of the standard.

Secondly, we will strengthen the organizational leadership of standard implementation, formulate detailed rules for standard implementation, effectively give play to the leading role of tourist scenic areas and relevant management departments, implement the requirements for standard implementation, and promote the coordinated development of standard implementation and quality evaluation.

Thirdly, strengthen the supervision and evaluation of standard implementation, cooperate with relevant departments to strengthen the supervision of standard implementation, improve the effectiveness of standard implementation, and promote the more standardized, higher quality, and more sustainable development of tourist attractions.

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