Hunan Rolls out Culture and Tourism Development Plan During 14th Five-year Plan Period

On August 30, the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism issued Hunan Province’s culture and tourism development plan during the 14th Five-year Plan period. It aims to build Hunan into a cultural powerhouse and an all-for-one tourism base. A series of measures will be taken to draw a blueprint of “Splendid Hunan” in the new era.

Establish a cultural tourism development new pattern of “554”

Based on the province’s actual conditions, the plan proposes to establish a new pattern of “554”, in a bid to promote differentiated, featured, balanced, and high-quality development of culture and tourism.

"554" refers to the construction of:
--5 cultural and tourism integration development areas: Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan, Around Dongting Lake, Western Hunan, Southern Hunan, and Xuefeng Mountain;
--5 inter-provincial cultural and tourism linkage areas: red or revolutionary area in border area of  Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Mufu Mountain cultural tourism area, Hunan-Hubei-Chongqing-Guizhou Wuling Mountain cultural tourism area, Hunan-Guangdong Nanling Range cultural tourism area, Hunan-Guangxi Langshan Mountain cultural tourism area; and,
--4 major cultural tourism corridors: Xiangjiang Cultural Tourism Corridor, Xiangxi Ethnic Cultural Tourism Corridor, Eastern Hunan Red Cultural Tourism Corridor, and Long March Cultural Tourism Corridor.

Hunan will focus on building Changsha and Zhangjiajie into international tourist destinations, and foster Yueyang, Chenzhou, and Huaihua into gateways of opening-up, and develop a number of high-quality cultural tourism counties to form a new growth pole for the cultural tourism economy. The province’s total annual revenue of the tourism industry will increase from 826.195 billion yuan in 2020 to about 1.3 trillion yuan in 2025, and the added value from the tourism industry as a proportion of GDP will increase from 6.18% in 2020 to about 6.5% in 2025.

Foster a new highland for culture.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Hunan will improve public cultural tourism services and innovate and inherit excellent traditional culture, to create a new highland for culture and enhance people’s sense of gain and happiness.

Projects will be implemented to support the creation of quality artistic works. About 10 large stage works and 3 outstanding large tourism performing arts works will be promoted, and more than 20 outstanding traditional theatrical pieces will be rearranged.

Public cultural tourism services will be improved. A five-year action plan for high-quality development of public cultural services will be implemented to build the most beautiful cultural space of Hunan Province. Construction of provincial-level projects such as the Hunan Provincial Culture and Art Center and the new Hunan Library will be promoted. A number of public cultural institution models on cultural tourism integration will be built to bring public culture and opera performances to villages. Key tourism ring routes will be developed to make national 5A-level scenic areas and national tourist resorts get access to first-class or above roads. All provincial scenic spots will get access to two-lane roads. Hunan’s per capita government funding for culture and tourism undertakings will be increased from 52.35 yuan in 2020 to 106 yuan by 2025. Tourism highway length will be extended from 1,100 kilometers in 2020 to 7,500 kilometers.

Protection and utilization of cultural heritages will be strengthened to promote intangible cultural heritages to be integrated into modern life. Four to five provincial archaeological parks will be built. Hunan’s application of Dong villages, “Tea Road”, and Changsha Tongguan Kiln for the world cultural heritage status will be promoted. Centralized protection and utilization of revolutionary cultural relics and construction of the National Long March Cultural Park Hunan Section will be enhanced. The province will support the building of branches of the Hunan Museum and Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Hall; launch the second survey of intangible cultural heritages; and, carry out application for the sixth batch of national intangible cultural heritage inheritors.

Improve quality and efficiency of tourism industry to spur consumption

As a mass tourism era has come, the popularity and high-quality demand of cultural tourism consumption has emerged. Cultural tourism has become a new "blue ocean" of consumption. According to the plan, Hunan will promote quality and efficiency improvement of the cultural industry and accelerate the construction of an all-for-one tourism base, so as to ensure that the added value of the cultural and tourism industry ranks among the top in the country. Project construction will be promoted through cultural and tourism consumption. Regional tourism alliance action and cultural tourism nighttime economy initiative action will be launched. An open and diversified cultural and tourism market will be fostered.

A digital strategy will be implemented in cultural industry, focusing on building Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industrial Park into a national cultural industry demonstration park, the construction of Hunan Daily Cultural Tourism Financing Service Center, and the upgrading of "media + cultural tourism + investment" strategy. By 2025, the operating income of cultural enterprises above designated size will increase from 339.478 billion yuan in 2020 to 500 billion yuan.

Hunan will cultivate 2 to 3 world-class tourist attractions based on its 5A-level tourist attractions and world heritage sites. By 2025, there will be 200 national scenic spots at 4A-level and above and resort areas at provincial-level and above. Priority will be given to the development of 20 classic red scenic spots such as Shaoshan and Shazhou, adding 1 to 2 red scenic spots to national 5A-level rating. There will be more than 60 national key tourist villages and towns.

Scenic spots are encouraged to establish free open days to promote cultural tourism consumption. The paid leave policy will be implemented. One to two national cultural and tourism consumption pilot demonstration cities will be fostered. Traditional commercial streets, idle factories, universities, and business districts centered on start-ups are encouraged to be renovated and upgraded. These will help build the national brand of Changsha Night Star City.

Implement integrated reform to break new ground in development

In the next 5 years, Hunan will create a new situation for development by promoting culture-tourism integration, reform, and innovation.

Key culture-tourism integration projects will be implemented, including cultural gene decoding projects, cultural and tourism integration IP projects, high-quality tourism performing arts projects, "Splendid Hunan" brand building projects, and "Cultural Tourism Pilot Program" training projects. By 2025, 50 counties and county-level cities will realize a total tourism income of 10 billion yuan each; and 5 prefecture-level cities will achieve 100 billion yuan each. A number of townships and towns with a total tourism revenue of 100 million yuan each will be built. The Hunan Tourism Investment Group will be established, to cultivate 1 to 2 leading cultural tourism enterprises with operating income of more than 100 billion yuan each and 3 to 4 with operating income of more than 10 billion yuan each.

More than 1 trillion yuan will be invested in cultural tourism in the next five years to promote culture-tourism integration. Ten major cultural and tourism integration demonstration zones, and 100 cultural and tourism integration demonstration sites will be built. A total of 1,000 cultural and tourism integration activities will be held. Efforts will be made to build Hunan into a sports tourism demonstration province.

The new round of scientific and technological revolution will provide a strong impetus for the development of culture and tourism. Hunan will build a market-oriented cultural and tourism technology innovation system that centers on enterprises and combines production, education and research, and build tourism technology demonstration parks such as Changsha Yuelu Science and Technology Industrial Park.  

Source: enghunan.gov.cn