Public tourism services to get boost(2)

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.