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been especially evident in economically underdeveloped regions, where public tourism service infrastructure remains outdated, service functions are not fully developed and the level of development lags behind the rapidly growing tourism market, the ministry official said.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