electra-supply.comFrom October 18 to 20, 2024, the inaugural Global Tourism Innovation Week, themed “Integration and Boundary Expansion,” took place in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province. The event aimed to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among creative minds, industries, and talent, fostering the transformation and upgrade of Zhangjiajie’s cultural tourism sector, and accelerating its development into a world-class travel destination.
The Global Tourism Innovation Week featured nine venues and 23 sub-events, bringing together nearly 200 guests from government, industry, and academia to engage in in-depth discussions on sustainable tourism development, tourism and urban marketing, rural revitalization, cultural creation, educational travel, homestays, camping, and the integration of education and industry.
Most of the events were held in key scenic spots in Zhangjiajie, providing participants with an immersive experience of the area’s natural beauty and cultural richness while addressing industry challenges.
With the evolution of tourism consumption patterns and the ongoing expansion of the tourism industry’s boundaries, China’s tourism sector is entering a new phase. As new consumer trends emerge, how traditional scenic areas adapt and break away from established patterns to meet the upgraded demands of new consumer groups has become crucial for achieving high-quality development in the Chinese tourism industry.
“We’re seeing a shift where travelers now pursue a form of ‘emotional consumption,’” remarked Wu Bihu, director of the Tourism Research and Planning Center at Peking University. “The Innovation Week has created a platform for stakeholders from various sectors to collaborate, pushing for cross-industry integration in local tourism that results in new emotional experiences for destinations. Moving forward, Zhangjiajie must balance conservation and development, continuously offering diverse tourism products to attract visitors not only to come but to return.”
This year’s event also placed a strong emphasis on technological innovation as a driving force for cultural tourism development, sparking significant interest among international attendees. During the dialogue on “The Path to Integrating Technology with Cultural Tourism,” speakers discussed digital infrastructure, low-altitude tourism, and the new opportunities presented by empowering the industry through digital models.
Li Zi, a strategic expert from the Greater Bay Area AI Sustainable Incubation Network Alliance, highlighted that AI is not just changing behaviors; it’s transforming our perspectives on data, energy, and social distribution. “In the new framework of human-machine coexistence, AIGC will revolutionize the cultural tourism sector,” she stated. With advancements in digital technology lowering the barriers for human-machine interactions, China’s push for innovative, inclusive technology is laying the groundwork for universal tourism.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and China’s first national forest park, Zhangjiajie has been transitioning from sightseeing to vacation tourism in recent years. The region is increasingly offering digital infrastructure, digital space experiences, and virtual reality activities that provide a fresh perspective for visitors. “We not only want to create physical scenic spots; we also aspire to develop digital twin and virtual reality attractions that blend digital and physical experiences,” noted Xing Jie, Executive Vice President of the Metaverse and Carbon Neutrality Research Institute.
International cooperation is emerging as a new trend, reflected in the diverse presence of foreign tourists across Zhangjiajie’s scenic landscapes. Zhangjiajie Lotus International Airport now connects to 92 cities both domestically and internationally, including 27 international and regional routes. Statistics show that by mid-2023, Zhangjiajie had welcomed 911,500 inbound tourists, marking a remarkable 569.17% increase year-on-year.
The Innovation Week attracted guests from Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as countries such as South Korea, Japan, and the UK. Participants leveraged their regional resources and tourism development experiences to provide actionable insights, contributing new ideas for Zhangjiajie’s cultural tourism innovations during East-West dialogues.
Joseph Menges, a lecturer and sinologist at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, shared his thoughts in an interview, stating, “Switzerland is renowned for its tourism, and much like Zhangjiajie, it boasts rich natural resources. For travel destinations centered on nature, sustainable development is of utmost importance today. There is an increasing emphasis on focusing on niche markets and the significance of high-quality growth. While there are differences in tourism service, management, and talent training between our two countries, these disparities create ample space for deeper collaboration.”
At the Innovation Week, several collaborative agreements were signed, including partnerships in film and creative strategy with Thailand, industry and education integration in Zhangjiajie, and educational research collaborations. The event culminated in the formal release of the “First Zhangjiajie Global Tourism Innovation Week Initiative.”
“We hope to use the Innovation Week as a bridge to create a shared platform for international entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, facilitating collaboration across geographical and cultural boundaries, thereby promoting the exchange and mutual learning of global tourism, culture, and civilization,” commented Wang Xu, the principal initiator of the Zhangjiajie Global Tourism Innovation Week and Secretary-General of the SMART Resort Industry Platform.
