Report Providing forward-looking data and deep insights, this analysis precisely decodes the new audiences, emerging strategies, and innovative pathways shaping the development of cultural and tourism IPs—offering crucial guidance to the industry in breaking through homogenization challenges and driving sustainable, long-term growth.

Cultural and tourism IP enters a "value-driven new phase": from "symbols" to "cultural living entities."

1. Essential Shift in Perception : Culture and Tourism The IP has evolved from a mere tourism symbol into a "cultural entity" deeply rooted in local culture, boasting high recognizability and emotional resonance. Its core values span three key dimensions: cultural empowerment (such as bringing the Dunhuang murals to life through digital innovation), brand differentiation (e.g., helping the Forbidden City break free from the "one-size-fits-all" look of countless cities), and industry-driven growth (shifting beyond ticket-based revenue models to expand and diversify consumer experiences).

2. With Pan-Entertainment The core differences of IP: Anchoring to Real Geography / History (such as Guilin’s landscapes tied to karst formations—non-transferable), relies on immersive, on-site experiences (requiring guidance to “actually be there”), and continuously evolves alongside the destination’s development (e.g., the Forbidden City expanding from cultural creativity into educational research programs)—distinct from the online consumption and episodic narratives typical of broad entertainment IPs.

3. Classification and Development Logic: Divide into historical and cultural categories (required "Creative Translations"—such as incorporating auspicious patterns into the Forbidden City lipstick, emphasizing "ecological priority" through measures like limiting passenger capacity on Li River cruises, promoting "participatory transformation" by engaging with folk traditions like the Dai Water Splashing Festival, fostering "content iteration" via innovative events like the Changchun Journey to the West Night Tour, and enhancing "fun-filled displays" at attractions such as the Qingdao Beer Museum—are all anchored in the underlying principle of "regional identity."

4. Core principles: Cultural priority is “Roots and heritage” must avoid symbolic appropriation—such as some museums simply printing motifs of cultural relics—instead, they should be underpinned by cultural depth to sustain commercial value, for instance, the Palace Museum distilling the essence of “Eastern Aesthetics of Living.”

5. Cultural and Tourism IP Value Assessment: Evaluation System: Based on "Culture empowerment, market commerce, experiential value, sustainable development, and dissemination influence" serve as the five key dimensions, guided by three core principles: "culture first, user-centricity, and sustainability." Key metrics include: - For culture empowerment, assess both the depth of exploration—such as the Palace Museum’s meticulous 600-year historical narrative—and the innovation in translation, exemplified by the digital Dunhuang AR interactive experience. - In terms of market commerce, evaluate the scale of contribution—like how the Zibo BBQ Festival boosted visitor numbers by 300%—and the ARPU value, with the Palace Museum reaching 200 yuan per visitor. - As for experiential value, gauge immersion levels—such as the 1:1 recreation of the Tang Dynasty cityscape in "Chang'an Twelve Hours"—and participation rates, highlighted by the 95% engagement seen at the Dai Water-Splashing Festival. 。

The core value of this evaluation system is "Correcting the course"—this means moving away from solely measuring IP value by "traffic" or "sales," and instead encouraging a balanced approach that considers cultural significance, experiential depth, and sustainability. This shift urges IPs to strike a harmonious balance between "short-term commercial gains" and "long-term cultural value." For smaller and mid-sized IPs in particular, clear evaluation metrics can help them pinpoint a unique positioning—such as emphasizing the immersive experience tied to local folklore rather than blindly chasing cutting-edge digital technologies. This stage marks a pivotal transition for cultural and tourism IPs—from "competing for traffic" to "cultivating deeper value." By redefining themselves as "cultural living entities," these IPs establish their irreplaceable, core competitive edge: their deep-rooted connection to local contexts and rich cultural heritage. Moreover, the differentiated development logic applied across five distinct IP categories underscores the importance of "resource alignment," preventing homogenized approaches. And above all, prioritizing culture is the key to overcoming the fleeting nature of "internet-famous trends"—only by safeguarding their unique cultural identity can IPs truly achieve enduring vitality.

The market size is steadily expanding: Digital cultural tourism and diversified monetization are becoming the core drivers of growth.

1. Scale Data ： In 2024, the market size reached 431.4 billion yuan (up 15.5% year-on-year), and is projected to grow further to 697.2 billion yuan by 2027 (an annual increase of 18.9%). Digital cultural tourism serves as the core engine, with nearly 60,000 enterprises active in this sector in 2023. Notably, from 2021 to 2023, the growth rate rebounded to between 17% and 19%.

2. Commercialization format: Forming "Physical Goods + Virtual Elements + Services" — A Tri-Dimensional Collaborative Approach: On the physical side, Suzhou Museum’s cultural and creative products have seen a remarkable 350% increase in sales over the past four years, with cross-industry collaborations becoming a growing trend. On the virtual side, Henan Museum’s digital collectible of the "Fu Hao Owl Zun" sold out instantly. And on the service front, AR/VR technologies are empowering performing arts experiences—such as the immersive show "Wei Meng · Da Liang Men," which has boosted visitor numbers by an impressive 13-fold.

3. Consumer characteristics: Ages 18–35 account for 76.34% (with the 25–35 age group forming the core), while East China and North China together make up 63.7%. Consumers in these regions show a strong preference for landscape/stadium IPs (54% and 51%, respectively) and "Guochao" (national trend) or ethnic-style designs (62% and 61%, respectively). They primarily rely on "online + offline integration" channels (71.7%) and social media information (54.9%).

4. Social media dissemination: With "News + Weibo" serves as the platform, while "TikTok + Xiaohongshu" act as growth hubs. Content must strike a balance between "breaking into broader audiences" and "resonating with everyday life" (e.g., Shanxi's cultural tourism × *Black Myth: Wukong*'s 10-billion-view exposure, or the viral success of "Little Sugar Oranges" inspiring educational travel). Meanwhile, distinct differences emerge among various IPUGC categories: regional landscape IPs account for over 65%, arts-and-pop culture IPs exceed 75%, and historical-cultural IPs make up 46.8%–51.1%.

The surge in digital cultural and tourism initiatives confirms The value of "Technology Breaking Through Time and Space"—it not only expands the boundaries of IP experiences (such as the online Digital Cave), but also provides a lightweight monetization pathway for small- and medium-sized IPs. Meanwhile, consumer insights clearly define the operational direction: focus should be placed on young and middle-aged family audiences, leveraging social media platforms to spark interest and drive offline conversions. Additionally, UGC strategies must be tailored to fit the specific type of IP—for instance, region-specific IPs should emphasize encouraging visitors to spontaneously share their experiences.

Social media communication enters the "User-Co-Creation Era": Full-Chain Operations and User-Centric Logic

1. Development and Profitability : Development follows "Culture Exploration – Value Extraction – Market Alignment – System Building – Sustainable Operations": a closed-loop process. Profit generation is structured across four dimensions—physical products (e.g., the Forbidden City lipstick, which sells over 100 million units annually)—virtual assets (the fastest-growing segment, such as digital collectibles that command high premiums despite zero inventory), services (high-margin offerings like tickets for 'Only in Henan,' which account for more than 60% of total revenue), and licensing (a lightweight asset model, exemplified by the collaboration between Huanghelou and Tastin).

2. Operational Characteristics: “Online traffic generation + offline experience + data-driven empowerment”—for instance, Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden “Metaverse Lantern Festival” welcomed 3 million visitors last year, while Zhejiang Zhijiang Cultural Center leveraged data analytics to boost repeat visit rates to 35%. Notably, these success stories showcase clearly differentiated strategies: the Forbidden City relies on cultural reinterpretation, Chang’an Twelve Hours focuses on immersive, real-world experiences, and Quanzhou’s hair ornament trend has broken into wider circles through fashion-oriented innovation.

3. User Core: With "Real-world experience and emotional connection" are key—these require enhancing immersion (such as the CAVE screen immersive scene in "Wei Meng · Da Liang Men"), tailoring solutions to specific needs (like addressing the issue of low "practicality" in cultural and creative products at the Suzhou Museum), and building up user assets. Currently, industry repurchase rates remain below 20%, underscoring the need to shift from traffic acquisition to nurturing existing customer relationships.

The core of the user co-creation era is “From ‘I produce’ to ‘We co-create’”—the rise in UGC contribution and the establishment of membership systems (for instance, Pop Mart members account for 60% of its total spending)—essentially hinges on transforming “one-time check-ins” into “long-term engagement” through emotional connections. Meanwhile, diversifying revenue models is the key for cultural and tourism IPs to break free from their heavy reliance on ticket sales, with virtual and licensing models particularly offering a lightweight, asset-light pathway for smaller and mid-sized IPs to gain traction.

Industrial Challenges and Breakthroughs: A High-Quality Development Path Under Multidimensional Constraints

1. The Four Major Challenges : Product end (Ultra 40% are refrigerator magnets/bookmarks, but face severe product homogenization; over 60% of intangible cultural heritage products remain idle. On the technology front, leading IPs invest more than 20% in digital initiatives, while smaller and mid-sized IPs allocate less than 5%, with VR/metaverse development costs exceeding 5 million yuan. In terms of operations, repurchase rates fall below 20%, highlighting an imbalance between cultural preservation and commercialization efforts. Finally, on the global expansion front, cultural discounts are significant, with overseas social media engagement rates dropping below 1%, and counterfeit products accounting for as much as 30%.

2. Breakthrough suggestion:

• Enterprise side: From “Symbolic Transference” to “Spiritual Translation” (such as Jinshang IP refining “Integrity” for educational tours), building a private-domain traffic pool, and leveraging local partnerships to go global.

• Product Side: Expansion “IP + Trendy Toys / Smart Home Devices” (high-frequency daily essentials)—leveraging AI to deliver personalized experiences, and launching a “Co-Creation Program for Users” (such as design crowdfunding).

The core contradiction of the challenge is "Resource Misallocation"—leading IPs monopolize technology and traffic, trapping smaller and mid-sized IPs in a vicious cycle of "homogenization—low profitability"; meanwhile, the difficulty of going global stems from "insufficient cultural adaptation." To break this deadlock, the recommended approach should focus on "precise empowerment": policies should lower the technological barriers for small and mid-sized IPs, while companies need to deepen their cultural insights to prevent hollowing out. Additionally, products should shift toward high-frequency, must-have offerings. Only through the coordinated efforts of these three elements can the industry transition smoothly from "quantity-driven growth" to "quality enhancement."

By 2025, the core development strategy for China's cultural and tourism IPs has become clear: rooted in the concept of a "cultural living entity," driven by co-creation with users through digital technologies, and supported by diversified monetization models and precise evaluation systems. In addressing challenges such as homogenization, the digital divide, and difficulties in going global, the industry is moving toward a high-quality phase of "symbiotic coexistence between culture and commerce." Looking ahead, maintaining the cultural essence, aligning closely with user needs, and lowering barriers for small- to medium-sized IPs will be critical to ensuring the industry's sustained growth.