On September 3, the 2026 China Cultural and Tourism Industry Expo, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, officially opened at the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center. As a national flagship event in China's cultural and tourism sector, this year's Expo is themed "Deepening Cultural and Tourism Integration, Creating a Smarter and Better Life," comprehensively showcasing the latest achievements and emerging trends in the integrated development of culture, tourism, commerce, and sports in the new era. Marking the second time the Expo has been held in Tianjin, the event has injected fresh cultural and tourism vitality into this historic and cultural city.
Centered on its overarching positioning as an industry pioneer showcase, a business trading platform, an urban traffic hub, and a joyous public festival, the Expo adheres to the organizing philosophy of being market-oriented, smart, premium, international, and audience-segmented, striking a balance between professional industry exchanges and public interactive experiences. Running for four days, the Expo aims to build a national comprehensive platform for the cultural and tourism industry that integrates achievement exhibitions, industry exchanges, project matchmaking, and consumption experiences through high-profile displays and networking.
In terms of exhibition scale and content design, this year's Expo demonstrates exceptional professionalism and diversity. Covering a total exhibition area of 100,000 square meters, it features ten specialized zones, including Cultural and Tourism Integration, Emerging Digital Business Formats, Cultural and Tourism Equipment, International Cooperation, Tianjin Highlights, and Mass Consumption. These zones collectively present cutting-edge explorations in the current cultural and tourism industry, ranging from innovative expressions of traditional culture to smart tourism empowered by digital technologies, and from the robust display of high-end cultural and tourism equipment to the broad vision of international cultural and tourism cooperation, painting a comprehensive picture of the high-quality development of the sector. In the Emerging Digital Business Formats zone, the deep integration of frontier technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence with cultural and tourism scenarios is a core highlight, vividly interpreting the profound connotation of "Creating a Smarter and Better Life." Meanwhile, the Cultural and Tourism Equipment zone showcases a wide array of high-end, intelligent, and green facilities and equipment, highlighting the robust strength and upgrading pace of China's cultural and tourism manufacturing industry. In particular, the establishment of the Tianjin Highlights and Mass Consumption zones not only highlights the unique charm of local cultural and tourism resources but also transforms the Expo into a joyous festival for the public.
The Expo's strong appeal is fully evidenced by its impressive lineup of exhibitors. It has attracted 2,540 cultural and tourism enterprises, with exhibitors hailing from 20 countries and regions as well as 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across China. Additionally, 10 international organizations and national industry associations are actively participating. Such extensive coverage and a massive exhibitor lineup not only demonstrate the immense potential and strong resilience of China's cultural and tourism market but also provide an important window for the global cultural and tourism industry to share resources and achieve win-win cooperation. Cultural and tourism institutions and enterprises from around the world are showcasing their latest products and exploring cooperation opportunities here, jointly promoting the prosperity and development of the global cultural and tourism industry.
To deepen industry exchanges, the Expo is also hosting 18 concurrent professional events. These events precisely focus on core areas such as regional collaboration, industrial innovation, technological empowerment, and cultural and tourism consumption, inviting industry experts, corporate representatives, and government officials for in-depth discussions and intellectual exchanges. At the Regional Collaboration and Industrial Innovation Forum, cultural and tourism departments from various regions and leading enterprises reached multiple consensuses on issues such as resource sharing, tourist exchange, and joint brand building, further breaking down regional barriers and promoting a new pattern of complementary advantages and coordinated development in the cultural and tourism industry. Through a series of high-profile professional forums, promotional events, and matchmaking sessions, the Expo has effectively facilitated precise matchmaking across the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, providing strong support for the implementation and transformation of cultural and tourism projects.
Currently, the cultural and tourism industry is at a critical stage of transformation and upgrading, with technological empowerment and cross-sector integration becoming the main themes of industry development. The successful hosting of the 2026 China Cultural and Tourism Industry Expo is not only a centralized review of the development achievements of China's cultural and tourism industry but also a profound insight into future development trends. Through this national platform, the cultural and tourism industry is accelerating the breakdown of industry barriers, achieving deep integration with technology, commerce, and sports, continuously stimulating new consumption vitality, and fostering new economic growth points.
As the Expo fully opens its doors, the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center is welcoming guests from all corners of the globe. This grand cultural and tourism feast will not only significantly enhance Tianjin's profile as a popular tourist destination but also inject a continuous stream of new momentum into the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry in China and beyond.