Cogent Social Sciences (Dec 2024)

The development of digital tourism in China

  • Li Ying,
  • Qiu Ziyi,
  • Hao Shizhuan,
  • Li Yan,
  • Zou Tongqian

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2347013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1

Abstract

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AbstractUnder the tide of information and globalization, modern information technologies such as computers, the Internet, mobile communications, the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality are developing rapidly, and the tourism industry has entered the digital era, and the tourism industry is also undergoing digital transformation. The development of digital tourism in China has gone through several iconic stages: the embryonic era of digitalization (1980-1996), the era of digital development (1997-2006), and the era of digital acceleration (2007-2023). Driven by digital technology, the digitalization of the tourism industry is developing towards higher quality, higher efficiency, and more intelligence. Many problems and challenges have also been exposed in the development process, such as the intensified fragmentation of tourism digitalization resources, the restriction of digital technology development, the large gap in digital application talents, the coordination of digital sharing and property rights protection, digital employment and industrial transformation, etc. Based on the actual development of China’s tourism digitalization, this paper puts forward the integration of tourism digitalization resources, the innovation and transformation of digital technology, the training of digital talents, the definition of digital property rights, and the concrete and feasible ways to solve the social problems derived from digitalization. In order to provide policy suggestions and decision support for the stable, efficient, and sustainable development of China’s tourism industry digitalization. With the deep integration and flexible application of 5 G, big data, artificial intelligence, internet of things, virtual reality and other technologies in the tourism industry, it will actively empower the rapid development of the tourism industry, further improve the quality of tourism services and deepen the digital transformation of the tourism industry.

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