During the event of “China’s Tourism Day” in 2018, Li Jinzao, deputy minister of Culture and Tourism Ministry, addressed a speech named as “ Promoting the Integration of Culture and Tourism, Developing All-For-One Area Tourism and Striving for a Prosperous Life Together”. He pointed out that tourism is a pursuit for a better life and also an important approach to know new things and unknown world.
Li Jinzao stressed that we should shoulder new missions in new era. Guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics For a New Era, we should uphold the people-oriented ideology, promote deep integration of culture and tourism, commit great efforts to all-for-one tourism development and meet people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.
Firstly, we should ensure that the Central Committee’s decisions and deployment are implemented and great efforts are made to advance the integrated development of culture and tourism. Culture is the soul and spirit of a nation and also the great motivation for national development and rejuvenation while tourism is a bridge of civilization spreading, cultural communication and friendship enhancement. There is natural affinity and strong integration between culture and tourism. From the perspectives of economy and industry, culture is the best tourism resources while tourism is the biggest market of culture. They have been integrated each other as culture enriches tourism characteristics, improve its quality and increase its profits. Tourism can improve the appeal, competitiveness and influence of culture. We should stick to the Central Committee’s decisions and deployment to deepen the system of the integrated development,, make comprehensive plans and deploy work systematically, adjust and combine resources, coordinate actions as well as pool new strength of cultural and tourism development. We should further improve the cultural connotations of tourism industry and inject more cultural elements into the whole process of tourism production and consumption. Besides, We should also advance cultural innovation of tourism projects and improve cultural creativity of tourism products, thus allowing tourists to fully get involved in fine Chinese culture, colorful regional culture and modern fashion culture.
Secondly, we should accelerate Supply-Side Structural Reform and develop all-for-one tourism. The 19th National Congress of the CPC proposed that we should further carry forward supply-side structural reform，endorse all-for-one tourism as a key point and address the shortage of effective supply in traditional model. Currently, all-for-one tourism has been upgraded as a national strategy. In June 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that the path of all-for-one tourism is right and we should adhere to it”. In government work report of 2018, Premier Li Keqiang endorsed the construction of all-for-one tourism demonstration. According to People’s Daily, “all-for-one tourism” is one of a hundred new words of ruling country since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Tourism Supply-Side Structural Reform is carried out throughout country with all-for-one tourism as its main task. There are more 500 all-for-one tourism demonstrations covering 31 provinces, seven of which are provincial unit including Hainan, Ningxia, Shangdong, Guizhou, Shanxi, Hebei and Zhejiang. Inspired by endless momentum of developing all-for-one tourism, the local governments gave first priority to it and dig out potentials for tourism upgradation and transformation. Meanwhile, it also provides other industries with drives and injects vitality to the whole economic restricting. At present, the traditional model of tourism no long meets the needs of modern tourism development. Therefore, they actively promote the tourism development and reform of administration. Others actively resume their efforts to transform the way of tourism development and take the initiative to reduce entry ticket prices of 5A scenic spots, such as Shangdong Quhu where Sankong scenic spot’s reduction in price was praised by public. Although income from tickets decreased, the number of tourists is on the increase; the industry chain is extended; the general tourism effect is also improved and the benefits through all-for-one development are also increased. Recently, General Office of State Council has issued Guidance on Promoting All-For-One Tourism Development, which indicates particular attention to all-for-one tourism from the Central Committee of the CPC with Command Xi Jinping as its core. Therefore, we should roll out a series of regulations, make sure they are implemented and inspect a bunch of all-for-one tourism demonstrations.
Thirdly, we should adhere to the guidance for a better life and try to step into a new era of quality tourism development. To promote our tourism transition from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development is indispensable to adapt to our economic transition from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, improve tourism development quality and meet the ever-growing tourism needs of people. In new era, to solve contradiction between people’s ever-growing needs of a better tourism life and unbalanced and inadequate tourism development, we should increase effective tourism supply and high-quality service by virtue of tourism development. To develop quality tourism, we should be aware of new tourism needs; adhere to the principles of putting people first and addressing people’s problems. At the same time, we should further optimize the tourism supply system and integrate tourism elements including “accommodation, using toilet, transportation, travel, shopping and entertainment” as well as “literature, business, cultivation, study, leisure, emotion and astonishment”. Besides, we should complete the tourism structure of industry and product and industrial chains of industry; improve the order of tourism market; optimize tourism service system; upgrade the overall service and speed up the implementation of paid annual leave. All in all, in order to develop quality tourism, we should take the intensive development approach to allow people to enjoy tourism products and service characterized by more characteristics and cultural connotations when experiencing a safer, more civilized, more convenient and happier tour.
Fourthly, we should cement the achievements and advance a new round of “toilet revolution”. Toilet is of great significance to people’s life and tourism experience. It is also the tourist’s appeals from home and abroad. China launched its "toilet revolution" campaign nationwide in April 2015, with the President Xi’s instructions as its starting point, which is still popular .in China. In November 2017, General Secretary Xi made important instructions again on “toilet revolution” and “pushing forward great development of tourism industry”. Xi’s attention injects a strong momentum into the continuous advancement of toilet revolution and great development of tourism industry. Without Xi’s instructions and attention, neither ‘toilet revolution’ would be launched nationwide, nor it would gain such a good response and receive such substantial effects. Over the past three years, toilets in scenic spots has been improved both in quantity and quality due to toilet revolution. Public satisfaction for toilet is also increased. These provide robust guarantee for tourism quality and development. The construction of toilet is a complicated and systemic project featuring long time, arduous work and repetitions. It is impossible to change the current conditions in a very short time because of the long-term shortage of toilet supply and thousands years of bad habits. To make up for deficiencies, it is essential to follow the President Xi’s instructions including ensuring the implementation of plans of toilet revolution in next three years; prudently advancing rural toilet revolution; strengthening technological application; providing technical support; diffusing civilized concepts of using toilet; enhancing the guarantee of facilities and boosting support for toilet revolution. Besides, we should pay attention to practical use and make sure it is clean and sanitary rather than pursue for luxury and worship foreign things; improve opening-up and cooperation; actively introduce foreign advanced technologies and management models, thus sharing China’s experience with international community and carrying forward the civilized image of Chinese people. Meanwhile, we should prioritize “toilet revolution”, accelerate hardware construction and improve service standards so as to promote the upgrading of public service.
Fifthly, we should adhere to the socialist core values and establish civilized demonstration system for tourism To promote civilized tourism is the inner requirement of socialist core values and it is also an effective way to carry forward Chinese fine traditional culture. With the increasing number of overseas tourists, their behaviors represent Chinese etiquette and civility, and also affect nation’s image. There were some behaviors concerning public, including spitting, talking loud, littering and damaging cultural relics. We should focus on cultivating competent tourists and tourism enterprises with etiquette and civility in new era, and insist on combining guidance and punishment to reinforce educational guidance , practice and management, thus achieving substantial effects.
We will pay attention to building civilized demonstration system for tourism, establishing a set of civilized demonstration areas and enterprises, and introducing a number of civilized tourists. Activities themed as “Contributing to a better China”, “Civilized Tours in a Hundred Cities”, “Table Civilization”, “Rational Consumption” and “ Green Commuting” will be launched to increase cultural connotations and show etiquette and civility in the whole process. We will also strengthen the management of tourism volunteer and lay out Administrative Measures for Chinese Tourism Volunteers. Besides, we will impose restrictions on uncivilized behaviors, further complete Temporary Measures for Uncivilized Behavior Management; speed up the legislation of civilized and reasonable tourism; boost the cooperation with departments of transportation, industry and information, business and customs to increase the scale of punishment according to laws and regulations. Great efforts should be made to new social style of civilized tourism and new channel to carry forward Chinese fine traditional culture and practice socialist core values.
Sixthly, we should speed up tourism opening-up and cooperation so as to improve cultural soft power. Tourism development helps in promoting the communications between different civilizations and cultures. Every tourist is the emissary of cultural exchange. The outbound visits amounted to 130 million per year and overseas tourists stood at 140 million. It is an important channel to tell Chinese story well, show a real and comprehensive China and enhance national cultural soft power with a large amount of tourist exchanges. We should improve the international competitiveness in tourism, advance the reform and innovation of tourism market promotion, improve the tourism promotion system between the Central Committee and local government, government and enterprises and departments, thus enhancing market promotion and effects. Besides, we should hold China-Canada and China-Europe tourism year; boost international tourism cooperation of Belt and Road Initiative and hold conference including the Tourism Minister’s Meeting of SCO Member States, the Tourism Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries and Tourism Minister’s Meeting of China, Russia and Mongolia as well as High-level Tourism Dialogues between China and America. We are also expected to deepen practical mechanism for bilateral cooperation in tourism between China and America, Russia, Australia, Portugal and New Zealand. We should also seize the new opportunities from World Tourism League to provide local enterprises with more international platform.
We should further complete tourism policy for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, strengthen policy implementation, improve quality and comprehensive effect of tourism and give full play to its role in emotion exchanges between mainland and Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao. It is also expected to strengthen national awareness and patriotism, carry forward Chinese culture and forge closer bonds between.them. People’s pursuit for a better life is our goal and the purpose of development is to improve people’s well-being.
Li Jinzao said, “we should closely follow the Central Committee of the CPC with comrade Xi Jinping as its core, remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind so as to grasp new opportunities of integrated development of culture and tourism. We should also lose no time to march forward new era of quality tourism development and contribute to a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the Chinese Dream”.
(Original article from china.org.cn)