The 2026 National Summer Cultural and Tourism Consumption Season was officially launched on July 8 in Qinghai. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to organize regions across the country to introduce distinctive cultural and tourism activities and public benefit measures tailored for the summer season. The goal is to enhance the quality of seasonal cultural and tourism products and services, thereby better meeting residents' and tourists' needs for summer travel and cultural consumption.
The summer consumption season will run from early July to the end of August. During this period, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with relevant departments, enterprises, and platforms, will roll out a series of public benefit measures covering various aspects such as sightseeing, escaping the heat, travel, and event attendance.
At the main launch event, several key announcements were made. The General Administration of Sport released the 2026 Summer National Youth Event Catalogue under the "Travel with Events" initiative. The Civil Aviation Administration of China unveiled measures for the summer air travel peak and cultural tourism benefits. The China Meteorological Administration issued a summer heat escape map and stargazing guide. China UnionPay introduced payment promotions including instant discounts on scenic spot tickets and consumption vouchers for hotels and homestays.
Throughout the summer consumption season, regions nationwide will focus on hot demand areas such as summer cool-downs, coastal vacations, night-time economy, cruises and yachting, family entertainment, study tours, intangible cultural heritage and cuisine, and museum visits. Efforts will be made to increase the supply of high-quality cultural and tourism products. Over 30,000 cultural and tourism consumption events are planned, and more than 4.5 billion yuan in consumption vouchers and other subsidies will be distributed. These initiatives are designed to help residents and tourists enjoy their summer holidays and journeys.
Qinghai Province, the host location for the main event, will concentrate on its core summer attraction of viewing snow-capped mountains. It plans to launch 16 "Tree of Life" themed routes, 5 premium self-drive tours, and 4 routes along the clear Yellow River tourism belt, connecting the province's high-quality natural landscapes and cultural sites. A "Qinghai Family Feast" promotion campaign will be conducted, accompanied by the distribution of 20 million yuan in cultural and tourism consumption vouchers applicable to scenarios including entrance tickets, accommodation, tour packages, and transportation.