In China, the Great Wall is not only an ancient military defense structure but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of national spirit. In recent years, with the advancement of science and technology and the increasingly diverse needs of tourists, the development of smart tourism destinations has become a crucial means of transformation and upgrading of the tourism industry.
Currently, emerging technologies such as 5G, big data, IoT, AI, and VR are rapidly developing, providing strong technical support for the development of smart tourism destinations. To meet consumers’ new demands and following market trends, the Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Area has further enhanced its functions, enriched its offerings, strengthened its promotion, and deepened its application of these technologies. This has highlighted the central role of information technology in tourism services, leading to significant progress in the construction of a smart tourism destination.
The Essential Path to Enhancing Tourist Experience
The Mutianyu Great Wall scenic area is located in Mutianyu Village, Bohai Town, Huairou District, Beijing. Since 2014, Mutianyu Company has gradually initiated the construction of a smart tourism platform to enhance the management level of the 5A-level scenic area, fully control company operations, and improve the integration capabilities of the smart scenic area's digital system. After several years of continuous improvement and upgrading, they have now completed the implementation and promotion of multiple functions, including a real-name ticketing system, a global media dissemination matrix, a visual big data analysis platform, an e-commerce platform, and a smart tourism platform centered on the Great Wall Network.
In recent years, smart tourism platforms have leveraged modern information technology to optimize and integrate tourism resources. Within tourism companies, departments coordinate efficiently, enabling dynamic management and high-level service. This shift has moved away from traditional labor-and resource-intensive management methods. These measures have reduced tourism management costs, increased economic benefits for the industry, and provided a more convenient and satisfying experience for tourists.
According to statistics, foreign tourists made up 10% of all visitors to the Mutianyu Great Wall in 2023, which is a quarter of the proportion in 2019. In January and February 2024, as foreign tourism gradually recovered, this proportion increased to 16%. By March, the rapid recovery of foreign tourism resulted in foreign tourists accounting for 40% of all visitors, while the total number of visitors remained unchanged. Notably, the latest statistics for April show that foreign tourists now make up 60% of visitors, primarily from non-western countries.
Convenient Foreign Currency Ticket Payments
The smart tourism development at the Mutianyu Great Wall focuses on enhancing the visitor experience and quality through information technology. Visitors can book tickets via mobile devices for immediate access, and use QR codes, ID cards, or passports for quick entry after scanning. As a major destination for foreign visitors, with over 30% of annual visitors being international, the Mutianyu Great Wall now supports online ticket purchases for foreign tourists. This allows them to book in advance, avoiding congestion at the entrance and providing a more convenient experience for both domestic and international visitors.
Currently, the Mutianyu Great Wall has established a global multimedia network both domestically and internationally. This network promotes the brand and integrates self-media platforms to facilitate the sale of traditional tickets, cultural products, and experience products, while also collecting consumer feedback.
In the future, while continuing to update existing self-media, we will expand to more self-media platforms that align with the scenic area's style and can generate revenue, including international platforms like TikTok.
The ticketing system at the Mutianyu Scenic Area has integrated with Facebook, allowing foreign visitors to access the English ticketing page directly by clicking on Mutianyu Great Wall ticketing when visiting overseas websites. Regarding payment, foreign currency transactions are supported, including Visa, Master Card, Union Pay, WeChat Pay, and Alipay, significantly simplifying the ticket purchasing process for both domestic and international tourists. This advancement in smart construction has elevated the visitor experience, ensuring a safer, more convenient, and efficient tour.
Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Area has expanded its ticketing channels by fully integrating its ticketing system with multiple platforms, including Mutianyu Great Wall's official website (both mobile and PC), Ctrip, Meituan, and others, to achieve comprehensive coverage and diversified ticket purchasing options. While upgrading the online ticketing system, on-site services at the Mutianyu Great Wall have also been enhanced to address the ticketing needs of certain groups, such as elderly visitors who may not have online ticketing capabilities or need assistance learning how to purchase tickets online. Through targeted explanations, guidance, and services provided by on-site staff, every visitor can enjoy the best touring experience.
Sustainable Development and Operations
In the future, the “data loop” and “management loop” will continue to support the development of Mutianyu as a smart tourism destination. By leveraging the “brain” of the smart tourism platform, cross-departmental and cross-industry integration will be achieved, enhancing the visualization, real-time response, convenience, and effectiveness of scenic area management and emergency handling. Statistical analysis of scenic area data will provide strong support for decision-making, marketing, and promotions. This will enable comprehensive, accurate, and timely services, improving service quality and visitor satisfaction.
To better introduce the history and culture of the Great Wall and enhance the visitor experience, the Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Area will comprehensively upgrade its smart guide system. This system will feature rich historical and cultural content, multi-language support, interactivity, multimedia displays, real-time updates, ease of use, and personalized services. By utilizing VR/AR technology and other multimedia elements, visitors can view historical scenes of the Great Wall on their smartphones or tablets, or listen to audio guides that narrate the stories and legends of the Wall, making its history and culture come to life. Additionally, the smart guide system’s compatibility ensures ease of use for visitors. The system can also provide personalized guide services based on visitors’ interests and needs, recommending relevant historical and cultural content and tour routes based on age, gender, interests and more, offering a unique Great Wall experience.
Mutianyu Great Wall Smart Tourism Scenic Area will continue to upgrade the digital and intelligent transformation of parking lots, tourism distribution and information centers, visitor service centers, dedicated tourism roads, and internal signage systems. Additionally, it will advance the construction of IoT sensing facilities and coordinate the development of a big data center for the cultural and tourism industry.
The development of Mutianyu Company’s smart tourism platform has established a foundation for sustainable growth, providing modern tools for better service to the Mutianyu Scenic Area. By implementing a new model of comprehensive online sales through an e-commerce platform, the company has encouraged local hotels, guesthouses, entertainment venues, agricultural products, and cultural products to join the platform, boosting income in the surrounding areas and demonstrating the responsibilities of a state-owned enterprise.
The development of Mutianyu Company’s smart tourism management platform has created a new model of IT construction for tourism enterprises based on a group structure. This sets a standard for the industry’s IT development, offering significant value for broader application and contributing to the industry’s overall advancement.
