Guangzhou Sustainable Tourism Evaluation

Brief Introduction to Guangzhou

The Development Course of Tourism

Since the 1980s, the tourism industry in Guangzhou has experienced rapid development. As a window for China's opening-up to the outside world, Guangzhou, leveraging its long-standing history, abundant cultural resources and unique geographical advantages, has become a popular destination among tourists both at home and abroad.

In the early stage of China's reform and opening-up, Guangzhou responded to the upsurge of reform, achieving rapid economic development. The prosperity of its commerce and trade industry drove Guangzhou to take the lead in establishing a group of high-end hotels in China. In 1983, White Swan Hotel was founded in Guangzhou as China’s first Chinese-foreign cooperative five-star hotel; subsequently, in 1985, it became the first hotel in China to join the Leading Hotels of the World, providing an excellent demonstration case for the development of Guangzhou’s hotel industry. Later, Guangzhou established China’s first state-owned five-star hotel (Dongfang Hotel), the first five-star hotel introducing foreign investment (China Hotel), and the first platinum five-star hotel (Garden Hotel). It also introduced modern hotel management concepts, which further promoted the development of tourism in Guangzhou.

In 1983, the first group of mainland Chinese citizens departing from Guangzhou traveled to Hong Kong for tourism and family visits. Subsequently, Guangdong Province decided to pilot the business of arranging in-province residents’ travel to Hong Kong for family visits, pioneering the practice of mainland Chinese residents traveling to Hong Kong. In 1987, GZL Travel Service joined hands with travel agencies in the Guangzhou area to establish the first tourism consortium in China. By publishing advertisements in newspapers, this initiative pioneered the practice of featuring domestic tourism advertisements in newspapers across the country.In 1994, GZL Travel Service took the lead in introducing the Corporate Identity (CI) system, injecting new momentum into the development of travel agencies nationwide. In 1999, as China advanced toward accession to the WTO and entered a period of accelerated reform and opening-up, Guangzhou Kangtai International Travel Service Co., Ltd. became the first approved joint-venture travel agency, reflecting the country’s firm determination to further opening its service sector to the outside world.

Founded in 1989, Chimelong Group has developed into a large-scale cultural and tourism conglomerate integrating theme parks, resort hotels, cultural performances, specialty dining, business conventions and exhibitions, as well as science popularization and education. Over 35 years of development, Chimelong has successfully established the Guangzhou Chimelong Resort as a world-class cultural tourism destination, ranking among the leading global theme park groups, with annual visitor numbers exceeding 40 million person-times.

The successful hosting of the 2010 Asian Games marked a significant milestone in the history of tourism in Guangzhou. During the Asian Games, the city received a large number of domestic and international visitors, leading to a comprehensive upgrade of its tourism infrastructure and a marked enhancement of its capacity for international tourism reception. In preparation for the Games, Guangzhou developed a series of iconic urban structures and tourist attractions, such as Haixinsha Park and the Canton Tower. In 2010, the Canton Tower officially opened to the public. With a total height of 600 meters, it is the tallest tower in China and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. Functioning primarily as a sightseeing destination while also serving as a comprehensive facility with radio and television transmission capabilities, Canton Tower has become an important landmark of Guangzhou.

The tourism industry in Guangzhou is dominated by historical and cultural tourism, with ancient architectural sites such as Xiguan Ancient Buildings, the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, and the Guangxiao Temple serving as its primary tourist attractions. Meanwhile, leveraging its advantage as a commercial and trade center, Guangzhou hosts large-scale international exhibitions like the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), gradually developing business tourism. In the late 1990s, as the city accelerated its modernization drive, Guangzhou began to integrate leisure tourism, shopping tourism, and food culture, fostering a more diversified range of tourism formats.

Entering the 21st century, Guangzhou has began a comprehensive upgrade of its tourism infrastructure and introduced a diverse range of international tourism projects. The construction of modern landmarks such as Canton Tower and the Zhujiang New Town CBD has further enhanced Guangzhou’s international image. In recent years, Guangzhou has implemented a “culture + tourism” development strategy, closely integrating cultural creativity with tourism resources, and has developed a series of city tourism brands with international influence.