Sustainable Tourism Development in Beijing & Hangzhou, China
Lu, Shuhui (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052716496
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052716496
Tiivistelmä
Against the backdrop of post-pandemic recovery pressures in China's tourism industry and global emphasis on sustainable development, this study conducts an in-depth investigation into the sustainable tourism development of Beijing and Hangzhou. The research aims to explore their strategic guidelines, implementation outcomes, and tourism market dynamics within the framework of the three pillars of environmental, economic, and socio-cultural sustainability, with the goal of providing reference for urban sustainable tourism development models.
Sustainable tourism development refers to a form of tourism that meets the current needs of tourists and destination regions while protecting and enhancing future development opportunities. It requires a balance between environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity. Beijing, as the capital of China, is renowned for its rich historical and cultural heritage and important political status. Hangzhou, on the other hand, is famous for its beautiful West Lake and as the host city of the 2023 Asian Games, possessing unique charm in the field of cultural tourism.
This study adopts a qualitative research method, mainly through content analysis of policy and qualitative data (2020-2024). In addition, this study examines statistical indicators such as PM2.5 concentration, GDP, tourism revenue and number of tourists to comprehensively analyze the sustainable tourism development of the two cities. This research began with plans in January 2025 and was completed on May 15, 2025.
The study indicates that both Beijing and Hangzhou have made significant progress in sustainable tourism development. Beijing has significantly reduced PM2.5 concentrations through strict air pollution control plans, reaching 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter by 2024, and has leveraged the legacy of the Winter Olympics to boost tourism consumption, with tourism GDP reaching 672.24 billion yuan in 2024. Hangzhou has focused on green infrastructure and cultural tourism, driving GDP growth to 2.18 trillion yuan, and revitalized its tourism industry through “night economy” initiatives and international marketing following the Asian Games, with foreign visitor numbers surging to 466,000 in 2023. However, both cities face challenges. For example, Beijing needs to improve the stability of air quality, while Hangzhou needs to strengthen the sustainability of the post-Asian Games market.
In summary, this study emphasizes the need to balance environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity in urban sustainable tourism development and proposes practical recommendations. The authors mainly recommend that in the future, Beijing should make more efforts to promote traditional culture, and Hangzhou should pay more attention to international promotion, to achieve a good and sustainable tourism development.
Sustainable tourism development refers to a form of tourism that meets the current needs of tourists and destination regions while protecting and enhancing future development opportunities. It requires a balance between environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity. Beijing, as the capital of China, is renowned for its rich historical and cultural heritage and important political status. Hangzhou, on the other hand, is famous for its beautiful West Lake and as the host city of the 2023 Asian Games, possessing unique charm in the field of cultural tourism.
This study adopts a qualitative research method, mainly through content analysis of policy and qualitative data (2020-2024). In addition, this study examines statistical indicators such as PM2.5 concentration, GDP, tourism revenue and number of tourists to comprehensively analyze the sustainable tourism development of the two cities. This research began with plans in January 2025 and was completed on May 15, 2025.
The study indicates that both Beijing and Hangzhou have made significant progress in sustainable tourism development. Beijing has significantly reduced PM2.5 concentrations through strict air pollution control plans, reaching 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter by 2024, and has leveraged the legacy of the Winter Olympics to boost tourism consumption, with tourism GDP reaching 672.24 billion yuan in 2024. Hangzhou has focused on green infrastructure and cultural tourism, driving GDP growth to 2.18 trillion yuan, and revitalized its tourism industry through “night economy” initiatives and international marketing following the Asian Games, with foreign visitor numbers surging to 466,000 in 2023. However, both cities face challenges. For example, Beijing needs to improve the stability of air quality, while Hangzhou needs to strengthen the sustainability of the post-Asian Games market.
In summary, this study emphasizes the need to balance environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity in urban sustainable tourism development and proposes practical recommendations. The authors mainly recommend that in the future, Beijing should make more efforts to promote traditional culture, and Hangzhou should pay more attention to international promotion, to achieve a good and sustainable tourism development.