Axis becomes center of attention

The new UNESCO World Heritage status and summer peak travel season have brought unprecedented attention to the area, and the inflow of tourists is expected to surge, says Zhang Jing, head of the resources development division of the Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

"The success of the Beijing Central Axis being inscribed as a World Heritage Site is only the beginning. We still have a long way to go in strengthening management and enhancing tourism quality, but we have started taking action," Zhang adds.

The Beijing authorities have adopted measures, from short to long term, to optimize tourism services.

A central axis tourism service management plan will be formulated by the end of this year. During the third and fourth quarters, the supply of central axis tourism products will be further enriched. In the short term, cultural exploration activities for the Beijing Central Axis will be organized to further optimize tourism routes and update and standardize the explanations provided by tour guides, thus better satisfying summer vacationers.

More tourism products featuring digital, immersion and learning experiences along the central axis are expected to be rolled out and creative and cultural products will be offered, Zhang says.

In addition to government organs, experts in the field have recently actively proposed suggestions for upgrading cultural and tourism services for the Beijing Central Axis.

Huang Bin, executive vice-dean of the China Institute of New Economy, stresses that local culture should be given a central role during the future development of the axis.

"It is the fundamental core of the area," Huang says.

But for the Beijing Central Axis to become a popular destination, he says it should align with trendy activities, including many current collaborations.

"Innovation and creativity are crucial, but fundamentally they are driven by data or more specifically by artificial intelligence," Huang says.

Unlike physical infrastructure, which is difficult to rebuild and change, content within can be updated quickly with the commercial application of new technologies, including virtual reality, he explains.

He also suggests giving preferential treatment to residents and communities in running certain franchises that could produce income and enhance travelers' experiences.

Dai Juncheng from the School of Culture and Communication, Central University of Finance and Economics, says world cultural heritage status will surely produce a positive influence over the inbound tourism market.

"Compared to natural heritage, the market potential of world cultural heritage is much greater," Dai says.