In 2023, the added value of cultural and associated industries reached 5.94 trillion yuan, accounting for 4.59 percent of GDP, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported. The added value of tourism and associated industries in China reached 5.48 trillion yuan the same year, accounting for 4.24 percent of GDP.

"We expect that by 2024, the combined contribution of these two industries to GDP will exceed 9 percent. The culture and tourism industries have increasingly played a vital role in stabilizing growth, expanding consumption, promoting employment and improving livelihoods," says Miao Muyang, director of the Industrial Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

According to Miao, the ministry will focus on promoting spending and increasing the supply of cultural and tourism products, and introduce a package of policies to promote the prosperity of cultural and tourism spending.

"By fully leveraging the advantages of China's massive market, we will track and analyze changes in social consumption psychology, align with the upgrading of consumption and growing individual demand," Miao says.