Public tourism services to get boost

An efficient, high-quality public tourism service system is expected to be up and running in the next three to five years, according to a government guideline released this month.

The number of public tourism services is expected to significantly increase with improved efficiency, and pertinent services — such as those offered during peak travel periods and to tourists with special needs — will be greatly enhanced, according to the guideline.

The document was jointly released by nine government organs, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The goal of establishing the system is to assist the high-quality development of the country's tourism industry and significantly boost public satisfaction with its tourism services, the guideline said.

"At present, China has fully entered the era of mass tourism, characterized by individualized travel, widespread consumption, personalized travel preferences and greater demands. The public has increasingly high expectations for public tourism services," said an official with the public service division of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who spoke during a Q&A session about the guideline on July 5.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of such services in China, with continuous improvements seen in related facilities and at different service levels. However, some challenges remain, including insufficient investment, inadequate financial guarantees and uneven development.

Such problems have been especially evident in economically underdeveloped regions, where public tourism service infrastructure remains outdated, service functions are not fully developed and the level of development lags behind the rapidly growing tourism market, the ministry official said.

"It's a crucial task before us to address these issues by improving public tourism services, enhancing supporting services and further elevating service levels to create a favorable tourism consumption environment, ensuring that tourists feel safe and comfortable," the official said.

Tackling challenges

The guideline highlights major tasks that should be performed in five aspects.

First, it has called for efforts to increase the distribution of brick-and-mortar tourism information centers, build smart platforms to improve online tourism services and boost public data sharing across related departments and sectors by integrating public tourism information service resources.

Second, the document has stressed the importance of upgrading tourism infrastructure for travelers and rolling out a series of national sightseeing routes featuring an array of services, distinctive scenery and unique cultures. Authorities are required to improve construction and management at tourism facilities, and optimize services to address congestion during peak travel times.

The guideline has also urged relevant parties to improve emergency rescue capabilities at tourist sites, ensure better distribution of emergency facilities and equipment, and encourage social participation in rescue efforts.

In addition, it has called for more beneficial and convenient activities to be set up for travelers and the development of related facilities.

Finally, it has advocated for the integrated development of public cultural and tourism services, enriching cultural service content at tourist attractions, and enhancing tourism service levels at public cultural venues.

The promulgation of the guideline is out of an urgent need to solve the development challenges of public tourism services and provide more of them, and promote the high-quality development of the tourism industry, experts said.

It will play a vital role in improving the tourism service system, enhancing the competitiveness of China's tourism industry and increasing the sense of gain and happiness among the people, they added.

Meeting demand

Liao Bin, an associate professor at the Tourism College of Beijing Union University, said that in recent years, China's tourism market has rapidly developed, with more people opting for do-it-yourself travel.

An increasing number of travelers are shunning group tours for self-guided ones that offer greater freedom and spontaneity. They not only look for more intimate scenic spots but also consider the cities and surrounding areas these sites are in as attractive destinations, Liao noted.

"This has increased requirements for the overall level of public tourism services," he said.

Liao has paid special attention to the guideline's focus on optimizing tourism information services.

He pointed out that nowadays, many tourists are accustomed to obtaining travel information via their mobile devices. Therefore, the construction of smart public tourism service platforms should be prioritized, serving as sites where travelers will be able to obtain important information on matters such as transportation, weather and visitor capacity at scenic spots.

Liao added that such platforms should also consider providing information on local sports activities, cultural venues and medical rescue services.

Weaknesses remain

In January 2022, the State Council issued the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for tourism development, which clearly outlined the important task of improving tourism infrastructure and public service systems.

"This signifies that promoting the high-quality development of public tourism services has become an important national-level strategy," said Zeng Bowei, director of the research center for China's tourism economy and policy at Beijing Union University and head of the leisure and vacation division of the China Tourism Association.

In May this year, the National Tourism Development Conference also proposed that the quality of services should be improved and efficiency enhanced.

"Since the beginning of the 21st century, with the rapid development of China's economy and society and the continuous improvement of the tourism industry, significant progress has been made in public tourism services. However, in comparison to the ever-growing tourism demand of the people, there are still many shortcomings and weaknesses," Zeng said.

The issue of insufficient tourism services remains prominent, with a sharp contrast between supply and demand, he noted.

Problems such as limited access to public transportation, toilets and parking spaces have persisted in popular tourist areas, and the development of services remains unbalanced across China's regions, Zeng added.

"The guideline directly addresses the difficulties that many tourists have complained about, and these concerns are reflected in the five aspects. This clarifies the direction for the high-quality development of future public tourism services," Zeng said.

Song Rui, director of the Tourism Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that significant changes are occurring in domestic and international situations, with a profound adjustment in the global tourism landscape, and China's national economy is steadily growing, making tourism key in the fields of consumption, ethnic exchanges and cultural education.

The international environment, industrial conditions, market support and social demand for building China into a strong tourism country are becoming more mature. Therefore, it is necessary to implement an innovation-driven development strategy, optimize supply, expand demand, improve services and enhance management, she said.

"This will comprehensively improve the efficiency of China's tourism industry and its international competitiveness," Song said.

Specific standards and regulations related to public tourism services will be formulated to provide operational guidance in various regions, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Supervision over the implementation of the guideline's instructions will be strengthened by establishing a management mechanism, and local departments in charge will be urged to implement their primary responsibilities, ensuring that all tasks are meticulously and effectively executed, the ministry stated.