Annual report reviews, forecasts China's culture and tourism industries

The Annual Research Report on China's Culture and Tourism Industries (2025) was released on Friday in Beijing, showing positive growth across various segments of China's cultural and tourism sectors—continuing a trajectory of high-quality development since their recovery from the pandemic.

A signature academic project launched five years ago by the Jinghe Institute of Culture and Tourism, this year's edition was jointly presented by the think tank, the Xinhuanet Cultural Industry Research Institute, and Beijing 798 Culture Technology Co Ltd.

The 2025 report identifies 10 market highlights from the past year and predicts 10 major trends likely to define the industries during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). It also introduces the year's top 10 policy and industry "buzzwords".

Growth was fueled by new quality productive forces—specifically AI and innovative business models—alongside upgraded consumer demands. Market entities have become more dynamic, achieving simultaneous gains in scale and profitability. Digital transformation and new tourism formats have turned cultural consumption into a primary engine for domestic demand.

The report highlights explosive growth of duanju, or short- and micro-dramas. In 2025, over 300 Chinese duanju apps were launched overseas, surpassing 470 million global downloads.

Despite these successes, the report notes that the industry still faces challenges, including supply-demand mismatches, necessary structural adjustments, and uneven regional development.

As China transitions from a digital economy to an intelligent economy, the report predicts its culture and tourism sectors will enter a new phase of high-quality development. The top 10 trends include a more contemporary approach to sharing Chinese civilization, better coordination between public cultural services and commercial sectors, and a shift toward more specialized and tiered consumer markets.

The report received high praise from industry leaders for its strategic depth and data-driven insights.

Zhang Jianzhong, a member of the expert group serving the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, commended the report's alignment with national goals, noting its value for government decision-making and academic research.

Zhang Zheng, associate dean of the school of journalism and communication at Tsinghua University, highlighted the report's role in "clarifying the current situation and boosting confidence" amidst global economic uncertainties.

Fan Zhou, director of Jinghe Institute of Culture and Tourism, proposed four strategic avenues for businesses seeking success in the culture and tourism sectors. They should abandon traditional thinking to adapt to new era challenges, master the "attention economy" by competing effectively for consumer engagement, stay human-centric by prioritizing human creativity and needs in the age of AI, and lastly, commit to longtermism by focusing on sustainable investment and operations.