Authorities in China increase funding for the cultural and tourism sectors
China’s domestic tourism market hit a record 5.49 billion trips in 2024, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Total tourism revenue reached 5.75 trillion RMB (approximately $800 billion), up 17.3% year-on-year. Cultural tourism, specifically visits driven by heritage sites, local food culture, and historical destinations, was the fastest-growing segment. Cities like Gansu province, Tianshui, Harbin, and Dali exploded in 2024 as Chinese social media users discovered them through Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The government took note. Funding flows are following the audience. For foreign destinations and brands trying to reach Chinese travelers, understanding where Chinese cultural tourism money is going tells you exactly what your marketing needs to say.
How China Increased Support for Culture and Tourism
China’s central bank and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a joint announcement increasing financial support for the culture and tourism industries. The measures included expanded financing options for businesses in the sector, lower financing costs, and support for asset revitalization for cultural and tourism enterprises. Financial institutions were directed to optimize credit management for operators in this space and accelerate recovery support.
This type of direct policy and financial support reflects how seriously Beijing treats cultural tourism as both an economic driver and a soft power tool. Cultural tourism in China is not just a leisure activity. It is government-backed, actively promoted, and growing with institutional support behind it.
The 2024-2026 Cultural Tourism Boom: What the Data Shows
The numbers behind China’s cultural tourism surge are specific and worth paying attention to:
- Gansu province (Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye): saw a 173% increase in visits from 2023 to 2024, driven almost entirely by Douyin content going viral. No advertising campaign. Just organic video spread.
- Harbin ice festival: generated 6.05 billion RMB in tourism revenue in just 10 days in January 2024, up 247% from the previous year.
- Tianshui (Gansu province): became a national food tourism destination in March 2024 after a single Douyin video about mahua noodles generated over 1 billion views. The city received 3.76 million tourists in one month.
- Guizhou and Yunnan: traditional culture and village tourism grew strongly among Chinese travelers aged 18-35 who wanted experiences different from coastal cities.
The pattern is consistent: a destination’s cultural story gets told authentically on short video platforms, it goes viral among Chinese consumers, and physical visits follow within weeks. The Chinese government funded the infrastructure. Social media provided the marketing, at zero cost to the destination.
China Cultural Tourism: Key Numbers
| Metric | 2024 Data | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total domestic tourism trips | 5.49 billion | Record high, Ministry of Culture and Tourism |
| Total tourism revenue | 5.75 trillion RMB (~$800B) | +17.3% YOY |
| Harbin ice festival revenue (10 days) | 6.05 billion RMB | +247% vs previous year |
| Tianshui tourists in March 2024 | 3.76 million | Triggered by one viral Douyin video |
| Gansu province visit increase (2023-2024) | +173% | Driven by organic Douyin content |
| Chinese traveling abroad (2024) | 130 million+ trips | Recovering toward 169M pre-COVID peak |
What the Cultural Tourism Trend Means for Foreign Destinations
Chinese cultural tourists are looking for the same things domestically and internationally: authentic local experiences, food with a story, heritage with visual appeal, and places they can share on Xiaohongshu or Douyin and get genuine reactions from their followers. The Gansu phenomenon showed that Chinese consumers will travel to obscure destinations if the cultural story is told well in video format.
For foreign destinations, this means the competitive landscape has shifted. A museum, a traditional food market, a medieval old town, or a regional craft tradition can generate more Chinese tourist interest than a general “visit our country” campaign if it is packaged correctly for Chinese platforms. The tool is Douyin. The audience is already there. The story needs to be told in the right format.
Where Chinese Travelers Research and Book Cultural Tourism
Mafengwo remains the “travel bible” for Chinese millennials planning cultural trips. With 120 million monthly users, it hosts user-generated guides, reviews, and itineraries for over 60,000 destinations. It is also an OTA where travelers book activities, accommodation, and transport. Ctrip (now part of Trip.com Group) holds the largest share of the Chinese OTA market for international bookings. Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel platform, has 550 million monthly active users and has attracted partnerships with major global hotel groups and airlines.
But the discovery phase — the moment when a Chinese traveler first decides a destination is worth considering — now happens on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, not on booking platforms. The booking platforms capture the decision. The short video platforms create it.
Reaching Chinese Cultural Tourists on Xiaohongshu (RedNote)
1. Show what makes your destination culturally specific. A castle, a market, a festival, a traditional craft. Xiaohongshu users who follow travel content respond to what is genuinely different from what they know. Posts that show something they cannot find in China generate strong save rates.
2. Tell the historical story in simple language. Chinese cultural tourists are often well-educated and curious. A Xiaohongshu post explaining the history of a site in clear, engaging Mandarin, with specific dates and context, performs well among this demographic. This is not the audience for shallow tourism content.
3. Use the food angle to enter the cultural conversation. Every cultural destination has a traditional food story. For Chinese travelers, food and culture are deeply connected. Posts about traditional regional dishes tied to the history and culture of a destination bridge both interests effectively.
4. Document local festivals and seasonal events in advance. Chinese cultural tourists plan ahead. Posts published 2-3 months before a major local festival, explaining what it is, when it happens, and how to attend, capture intent during the planning phase.
5. Feature the contrast with what Chinese tourists already know. “This is like [Chinese equivalent] but different in these ways” is a powerful framing. It acknowledges the reference point and adds the layer of novelty that motivates a booking decision.
Reaching Chinese Cultural Tourists on Douyin
6. Create short atmospheric videos of cultural moments. 30-45 second clips of a market, a craftsperson at work, a traditional performance, or a historical site at dawn drive strong engagement when paired with Mandarin narration or on-screen text that explains the cultural context.
7. Show the transformation a cultural trip creates. Chinese consumers on Douyin respond to aspirational content. A video structured as “before and after” a cultural trip, or showing how visiting a specific destination gave someone a new perspective, performs well in the cultural travel content category.
8. Partner with Chinese travel creators who specialize in cultural content. These creators already have audiences of Chinese cultural tourists. A collaboration with one creates immediate access to an engaged, relevant audience and provides content that the creator’s followers trust.
9. List your destination on Chinese OTAs and link Douyin content to booking options. The discovery-to-booking journey for Chinese travelers is fast. Douyin videos that link to Ctrip or Fliggy listings for the featured destination or experience capture intent while it is highest.
Example Found on Chinese Web (Translated)
“I had never heard of Gansu until I watched a video about the Rainbow Mountains at 6 AM on a Tuesday. By that evening I had booked flights. That’s how I make travel decisions now. Douyin is my travel agent.”
— Xiaohongshu post from a Beijing-based user, April 2024, describing the discovery journey to Zhangye Danxia
FAQ
How big is China’s cultural tourism market in 2024?
China recorded 5.49 billion domestic tourism trips in 2024, generating 5.75 trillion RMB in revenue. Cultural tourism was the fastest-growing segment, driven by viral social media content and government funding support for the sector.
How do Chinese tourists discover cultural destinations?
Primarily through Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The Gansu phenomenon in 2024 showed that a destination can go from unknown to millions of visitors in weeks if the right cultural content spreads on these platforms. Discovery happens on social media; booking happens on Ctrip, Fliggy, and Mafengwo.
What type of cultural experiences attract Chinese tourists?
Authentic local food, historical sites with a strong visual identity, traditional crafts, unique natural formations, and local festivals. Chinese cultural tourists, especially those aged 25-40, want experiences that are genuinely different from what they find at home and can be shared compellingly on social media.
How can foreign cultural destinations attract more Chinese tourists?
Build a presence on Douyin and Xiaohongshu with Mandarin-language content that tells a specific cultural story. List on Ctrip and Fliggy. Collaborate with Chinese travel creators who reach the cultural tourism segment. The model is the same as what Chinese domestic destinations have used successfully.
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Turn Your Cultural Destination Into a Chinese Social Media Story
The Gansu province example showed what happens when a destination’s cultural story is told well on Douyin: 173% visitor growth in a year, with minimal advertising budget. The story was the product. The platform was the distribution. We help foreign cultural destinations build exactly this kind of presence on Chinese social media, from Mandarin content strategy through KOL partnerships to Ctrip and Fliggy listing optimization. If you have a cultural story worth telling, we can help the right Chinese audience find it.
Get in touch to discuss your cultural tourism strategy for the Chinese market.
Pedro Wang is the founder of Chinese Tourists Agency, with 15 years of experience helping cultural destinations, tourism boards, and heritage brands reach Chinese travelers through content and social media strategy.
