China Unveils Spatial Tourism Blueprint for 15th Five-Year Plan

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced strategic priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030) at a State Council Information Office briefing on September 24. Officials detailed a spatial layout comprising 32 tourism hubs, 33 key tourism cities, and 23 distinctive destinations, alongside targeted efforts to cultivate county-level tourism and lesser-known scenic towns. The plan also introduces a north-to-south marine tourism corridor and emphasizes digital transformation, cultural integration, and economic empowerment as core pillars for building a robust tourism industry.

The structural shift toward county-level tourism and regional hubs signals a coordinated push to disperse travel spending beyond saturated top-tier cities. By directing resources into lesser-known destinations and specialized maritime routes, national planners aim to balance regional economic development, modernize public services, and unlock domestic consumer spending across lower-tier jurisdictions.

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has outlined its strategic roadmap for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), emphasizing structural realignment, county-level tourism, and new coastal development to transition the sector into a stronger economic pillar. Speaking at a State Council Information Office press briefing on September 24, Man Hongwei, director of the ministry's Department of Resource Development, stated that authorities will optimize the spatial distribution of the sector to support coordinated urban-rural development. The ministry plans to establish 32 tourism hub cities, 33 key tourism cities, and 23 distinctive tourism destinations. Alongside these designated centers, planners will actively promote county-level tourism and cultivate more well-known tourism counties and lesser-known scenic towns, often described as 'treasure towns.' The ministry recently issued the '15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Tourism Powerhouse,' which sets policy priorities across several operational domains. According to Man, the document marks the first time tourism authorities have formally arranged the expansion of marine tourism space. The blueprint calls for a north-to-south marine tourism belt spanning coastal sightseeing, seaside leisure, island excursions, and cruise or yacht tourism. Officials noted that China's transition toward a high-caliber tourism sector is underpinned by three structural strengths: diverse natural and cultural assets, including extensive UNESCO heritage listings; foundational infrastructure, encompassing the world's largest high-speed rail and expressway systems alongside pervasive mobile network coverage; and the world's largest domestic travel market coupled with a broad supplier base. Broadening beyond spatial layouts, ministry representatives highlighted that the 15th Five-Year Plan framework will advance cultural and tourism development across five focal areas: invigorating artistic production, strengthening heritage preservation, refining public services, accelerating industry expansion, and deepening international exchanges. Planners also identified four horizontal guidelines, prioritizing deeper culture-tourism integration, improvements in public living standards, digital and smart enablement, and cross-sector integration to support broader macroeconomic development.