Tourism getting a high-tech boost

'Smart' action plan calls for further integration of key sector with burgeoning digital economy

To better integrate the culture and tourism industry into the nation's digital economy, the Chinese government recently unveiled its Action Plan for the Innovative Development of Smart Tourism, calling for more immersive and personalized experiences for tourists by using new technologies.

In May, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Data Bureau jointly issued the plan, which outlines eight specific tasks to facilitate smart tourism, a buzzword in China's culture and tourism industry fueled by new technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality.

It says that by 2027, the scale of the smart tourism economy will have further expanded; smart tourism infrastructure will be more sophisticated; the supply of high-quality smart tourism products will be more abundant; and smart tourism services and experiences will be more convenient and comfortable.