MKsports one of the two mascots of the Asian Winter Games, in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on December 27, 2024. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-01-09/94d8fa13-408f-46a5-8a89-274da5666b1d.jpeg" />

Tourists take photos in front of the snow sculpture of Nini, one of the two mascots of the Asian Winter Games, in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on December 27, 2024. Photo: VCG

China's State Council, the country's cabinet, on Monday rolled out a total of 18 measures to cultivate new growth areas across cultural and tourism consumption, covering six aspects including launching cultural and tourism vouchers, introducing more cultural and tourism products suitable for seniors and optimizing inbound tourism policies.

China will gradually expand the number of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free policies and appropriately extend visa-free periods, according to the State Council. Moreover, it will strengthen the availability of inbound tourism products and optimize departure tax refund services, including promoting "buying and refunding immediately" measures.

The country will also boost consumer-friendly measures, including launching cultural and tourism consumption vouchers and discounts. It will encourage localities to utilize social media, online travel platforms and lifestyle platforms to carry out cultural and tourism promotion and marketing.

The measures also require to meet the spending needs of different age groups. The country will develop family vacation hotels and optimize related services, promoting educational tourism business for travel agencies. Moreover, it will seek to enhance the quality of cultural and tourism services for the elderly, and introduce more cultural and tourism products suitable for seniors.

China will expand the supply of unique and high-quality products. It will encourage localities to relax restrictions on the number of tickets that can be sold for large commercial performances, and to eliminate repetitive content reviews for tour projects at different tour locations.

In addition, the country will cultivate consumption scenarios, including developing spatial virtual reality experience projects, promoting night economy and extending the opening hours of popular scenic spots and cultural and museum venues according to local conditions.

Local governments are permitted to allocate special-purpose bonds to support cultural and tourism projects that meet conditions. Companies and employees are encouraged to arrange for staggered vacation by combining annual leaves with traditional festivals and local special events.

Global Times