Shanghai published its 15th Five-Year Plan for innovative urban tourism development, targeting over 900 billion yuan in annual tourism revenue by 2030. The plan builds on achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), when the city recorded 425 million tourist arrivals and 672.365 billion yuan in tourism revenue in 2025, with annual growth rates of 12.39 percent for tourist arrivals and 16.45 percent for revenue.
Shanghai aims to become China’s top gateway for inbound tourism, a leading urban tourism destination, and a pilot for integrating culture and tourism deeply. During the previous plan period, Shanghai attracted one-fifth of China’s foreign
inbound visitors, ranking first nationally.
2030 Tourism Revenue and Visitor Targets
The 15th Five-Year Plan sets numeric objectives including surpassing 900 billion yuan ($134.5 billion) in annual tourism revenue and drawing over 10 million inbound visitors annually by 2030. Tourism-related value-added economic output is projected to make up 5 percent of Shanghai’s local GDP. These targets reflect Shanghai’s effort to sustain and expand its tourism sector’s economic impact.
Expansion of Cultural-Tourism Integration
Cultural activities have played a key role in boosting tourism, with Shanghai hosting 61,400 commercial performances in 2025—twice the number in 2020. The city also held more than 1,500 cultural and art exhibitions that attracted over 50 million
attendees in 2025. Over 60 percent of these exhibition visitors traveled from other Chinese provinces, indicating strong domestic appeal.
Tourism Infrastructure and Spatial Development
Shanghai plans to develop a world-class riverside tourism belt along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek, creating seven unique waterfront zones such as the Bund, Xuhui West Bund, and Expo area. The aim is to transform waterfronts from single sightseeing locations into multi-functional urban destinations. The city will also enhance downtown cultural clusters and cultivate suburban themed tourism belts focused on areas like auto culture, ancient town wellness, and industrial heritage. By 2030, Shanghai intends to establish 100 key rural tourism
villages and 100 community attractions at or above the municipal level.
Industry, Rural Tourism, and Urban Parks Enhancements
The plan emphasizes integrating culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions. Industrial tourism will spotlight smart manufacturing and large infrastructure projects offering immersive experiences. Rural tourism development will prioritize overnight stays through the creation of micro-resorts, shifting away from short day trips. Urban parks will focus on quality improvements with open boundaries and mixed cultural, sports, and arts programming to encourage higher visitor spending.
According to the director of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism, the city will advance diverse, personalized, and high-quality tourism offerings to foster stronger connections
between residents and visitors and enhance their experience of the city’s scenery and cultural landscape.
