China releases new five-year plan for culture, tourism

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday released the 14th five-year plan for the development of various sectors, laying out the overall requirements, development goals, major tasks and measures for the 2021-2025 period.

Dancers perform Jiuhe Zhuo Dance, a national intangible cultural heritage, in Jiuhe Village of Qonggyai County in Shannan, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

The plan sets out the major tasks of developing culture and tourism, including advancing social civility, establishing artistic creation systems for a new era, improving the protection, inheritance and utility of cultural heritage, and enhancing the modern tourism system.

"Efforts will be made to provide higher-quality and efficient public cultural services and greater accessibility and sustainability over the next five years," said Yan Xiaodong, an official with the ministry, at a press conference.

The ministry will continue to upgrade the structure of the cultural industry and promote the employment of new technologies and digitization. It will also deepen international cultural cooperation and strengthen cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road.

Tourist products will be enriched and improved during the period, with new offerings to be expected such as national cultural parks, red tourism routes and ice and snow tourism attractions, it said.

The plan also underlines the development of internet-powered tourism, promotion of smart management of tourist attractions and innovation of tourism-related public services.