MCT and CAAC Issue the Action Plan for Integrated Development of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Civil Aviation Administration jointly issued the Action Plan for the Integrated Development of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, calling for more inbound tourism routes, more direct flights, better airport tourism facilities and more air-plus-culture/tourism products.
Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) jointly issued the Action Plan for the Integrated Development of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (No. WENLÜCHANYEFA [2025] 90; index No. 357A09-14-2025-0071), setting out arrangements to promote the deep integration of culture, tourism and civil aviation. The plan proposes that by 2027, tourism travel service levels will be significantly raised, international and domestic tourism routes will have broader coverage, and integrated products and scenarios will be more abundant and diverse.
In the area of “optimizing tourism routes and service facilities,” the plan puts forward two measures directly relevant to charters and international routes:
First, increase the frequency of inbound tourism routes. Optimize the allocation of traffic rights, guide Chinese and foreign airlines to open more direct flights and routes for major and emerging source countries, especially Belt and Road partner countries, and improve the inbound tourism route network; encourage the development of multi-city tour routes within the areas where the visa-free transit policy permits stays, “aviation + high-speed rail” combined-transport products and “cruise + aviation” connecting packages; and implement an inbound tourism route promotion plan, cultivating a number of premium inbound tourism routes each year for major inbound source countries, emerging source countries and key inbound destination cities.
Second, improve airport tourism service facilities. Promote the creation of dedicated areas at airports in popular destination cities to facilitate the stopping of tourism vehicles such as tourist shuttle buses, tourist charters, and direct buses to resorts and hotels; and support the establishment of tourism distribution centers and tourist service centers in airport terminals where conditions allow, providing one-stop services including tourism information consultation, individual-traveller gathering, guide services, ticketing, car rental and luggage delivery.
In addition, the plan puts forward a series of measures in areas such as “improving tourism travel service levels” and “cultivating new integrated products, business forms and scenarios,” including raising the level of inbound tourism facilitation, enriching “civil aviation + culture and tourism” services and developing low-altitude tourism in a well-regulated and orderly manner. The plan emphasizes further improving route and flight management policies and optimizing the construction of the tourism route network and the allocation of flight capacity; and encouraging places where conditions allow to introduce special support policies to promote the integrated development of culture, tourism and civil aviation.
Reference significance for charter travel: The plan lists “increasing the frequency of inbound tourism routes and opening more direct flights and routes” and facilitating tourist group travel as key directions, in line with the business model of tourism charters — “point-to-point direct flights with capacity customized for groups” — and provides a policy basis for developing international tourism routes and group travel products.
(This article is compiled from the official notice publicly issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.)