"Internet plus" model spurs tourism recovery in China

Online reservations for travel services have significantly optimized consumption and the way tourism services are provided.

Online reservations have gained momentum in China, according to the 51st China Statistical Report on Internet Development recently released by the China Internet Network Information Center.

Xu Liang, owner of a B&B hotel located inside a scenic area in Altay prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, handles orders placed by tourists. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

The report revealed that by December 2022, 423 million internet users in China used online travel booking services, accounting for 39.6 percent of the Chinese internet user base.

As China has optimized and adjusted its anti-pandemic measures, online reservations for travel products have soared and the number of searches for scenic area admission tickets have seen a substantial increase.

Dai Bin, president of China Tourism Academy, said information technology has created innovation in travel services, and the application of big data, cloud computing, mobile communications and intelligent terminals in the tourism industry is generating a new revolution in tourism consumption.

In Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, a smart tourism platform is improving travel experience for tourists.

Through big data, information about A-level scenic areas, souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants in the prefecture are accessible on an e-map. And by logging on the smart tourism platform, tourists can enjoy services such as booking scenic area admission tickets and buying tourism products.

East China's Jiangsu Province has launched a smart tourism platform which provides 83 million pieces of information about cultural and tourism resources in the province. The platform monitors real-time tourist flow in 597 scenic areas and 764 rural scenic areas in the province.

The "Internet plus tourism" model has activated tourism resources and enhanced tourists' sense of satisfaction when they travel. An official from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that the tourism industry is seeing a digital transformation at an accelerated pace.