China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued a five-year plan to accelerate the construction of a tourism powerhouse, vowing to boost inbound tourist arrivals to 190 million by 2030, with total spending surpassing $150 billion, the ministry said on Wednesday.

That's a significant increase from the current level. In 2025, China recorded 154.5 million inbound tourist arrivals, representing a year-on-year growth of 17.1 percent, while inbound tourism spending reached $131.1 billion, surging 39.2 percent compared with the previous year, according to official data.

The ministry noted that the plan is aimed at further consolidating the pillar industry status of tourism by 2030, with the role of tourism in stimulating domestic demand, promoting employment, and invigorating the market further strengthened. The share of value added from tourism and related industries in GDP has steadily increased.

According to the plan, China will continuously optimize visa-free policies and steadily expand the scope of visa-free countries. In addition, it plans to open new international air routes and tourism special trains, while increasing the number of flights and transport capacity.

Furthermore, the ministry will intensify efforts to train foreign-language tour guides and widely apply intelligent translation equipment. It will promote the Chinese hospitality tradition, showcase the unique cultural features of Chinese tourism, and cultivate the renowned "China Service" brand.

By 2030, domestic tourist trips are expected to reach 8.3 billion, with total domestic tourism spending amounting to 7.7 trillion yuan, with the inclusiveness of tourism further highlighted, the plan said.

The ministry will enrich high-quality tourism supply and adapt to the needs of different tourist groups by launching customized and personalized tourism products and routes. For instance, it will focus on the health and wellness, emotional companionship, and interest-based social needs of the elderly, develop themed products such as wellness tourism and nostalgia tours.

In order to unleash the consumption potential, the ministry proposed to implement the paid annual leave system for employees and encourage flexible staggered holidays. It supports regions with the necessary conditions to promote spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools.

In a latest move, the ministry on Wednesday launched the 2026 national summer cultural and tourism consumption season in Northwest China's Qinghai. The consumption season will run from early July to the end of August, during which various regions will host more than 30,000 cultural and tourism consumption events and issue over 450 million yuan in consumption vouchers and other subsidies.