This summer, county-level markets have been bursting with vitality, the "cool economy" has continued to heat up, and the integration of culture and tourism has been deepening... Diverse cultural and tourism activities have illuminated the summer economy and also reflected new trends in the consumer market.

The popularity of "county-level tourism" continues to rise.

Cultural heritage tours, intangible cultural heritage tours, ancient architecture tours, cycling, hiking, study tours... county towns are becoming important venues for new consumption. The recently released "Opinions of the Ministry of Commerce and other 9 departments on further stimulating the vitality of the sinking market and revitalizing county-level consumption" proposes to cultivate distinctive consumption scenarios such as "health and wellness +", "culture and tourism +", "agriculture +", "folk customs +", and "historical classics +", and supports neighboring counties to jointly create cross-regional classic consumption routes.

In July of this year, Jianshui Ancient City in Yunnan Province received 68,000 visitors in a single month, with steady growth in distinctive catering, cultural and creative industries, and other sectors. Jianshui has also launched diverse business formats such as purple pottery study tours, night markets, and intangible cultural heritage experiences, flourishing across the entire region and demonstrating the vitality of the county's cultural tourism market.

Cooling economy stimulates consumption

Data shows that since July, summer vacation travel has become the main travel choice for tourists across the country, the popularity of museum study tours has increased by more than 70% year-on-year, and the search volume for water-related activities such as rafting and canyoning has increased dozens of times compared with the previous month.

In Guizhou, the "cool economy" continues to stimulate new vitality in summer cultural and tourism consumption. Many scenic spots are bustling with visitors, who enjoy the cool respite amidst the green mountains and clear waters.

The integration of culture and tourism continues to deepen

Currently, various regions are making continuous efforts to deepen the integration of culture and tourism. In Luoyang, Henan, the ancient streets and alleys are regaining their charm, cultural and museum venues are innovating and expanding their reach, and scenic spots are upgrading their business formats, allowing millennia-old historical heritage to step out of the exhibition halls and get closer to the public.

This summer, new avenues for cultural and tourism consumption continue to open up. Behind the booming summer tourism industry lies people's aspiration for a better life and is also a vivid microcosm of China's economic vitality. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)