The State Council announced a development plan for the tourism sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in a circular on Thursday.

By 2025, China will have a stronger modern system for the tourism sector integrating cultural development and boasting an improved barrier-free environment and services, according to the circular.

By 2035, the country aims to become a world tourism powerhouse, with a wider variety of tourist hot spots, including national cultural parks, world-class tourist attractions and resorts, and state-level cities and blocks serving tourism and leisure, it added.

Modern tourism requires supply-side structural reform, high-quality tourism products, and integration with other industries, the circular said.

It involves promoting smart tourism with digital, networked and intelligent scenarios and expanding the application of new technologies in tourism.

Tourism development, the circular said, should pursue harmonious co-existence with nature in steadily building national cultural parks and national parks, protecting historical resources, based on general surveys of Chinese cultural resources, and natural resources.

To advance mass tourism and consumption, preferential policies, services, and public infrastructure should keep up with emerging development patterns such as contactless tourism and consumption.

A modern tourism governance system should be in place for handling tourist complaints to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, emergency responses, as well as prevention and control of major risks from disasters and accidents, according to the circular.