According to China Consumer News, the recently issued Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Expansion and Upgrade of Commodity Consumption proposes supporting local authorities to develop "must-buy and must-bring" city gifts. Antique-style bookmarks, portable aromatherapy diffusers, landscape folding fans, city-limited canvas bags... A host of delicate cultural and creative products have evolved from mere embellishments for cultural tourism into an effective channel to boost local consumption and spread culture. It deserves attention and consideration from all stakeholders on how to turn these products into premium must-buy and must-bring items.

In recent years, a growing number of intangible cultural heritage goods and urban trendy products have gained popularity, compared with conventional fridge magnets and keychains printed with iconic city buildings. Nevertheless, many tourist-oriented cultural and creative products boast attractive appearances yet lack distinct cultural connotations. Some merchants fail to dig deep into local history and folk customs. Instead, they blindly apply templates and mass-produce identical goods, turning cultural and creative products into homogenized assembly-line wares.

Cultural and creative souvenirs that only focus on superficial design cannot win over consumers or achieve sustainable development. To avoid the phenomenon of identical products across different destinations, merchants need to strengthen their original design capacity, improve product quality and optimize the industrial ecosystem.

Merchants should move beyond superficial development and explore unique local cultural heritage. The charm of cultural and creative products lies not in fancy exteriors, but in distinctive cultural cores. Popular hit cultural and creative products win wide popularity not by copying trends, but by translating exclusive local cultural memories into premium goods that combine modern aesthetics and practical functions. Only by fully telling regional stories, refining product quality, and endowing each cultural and creative piece with origin, warmth and emotional resonance can these products take root in consumers' hearts. For example, Guangxi has launched intangible cultural heritage Zhuang brocade merchandise themed on the "March 3rd" Festival, while Nanjing developed lantern trendy products combined with the night tour of Qinhuai Lantern Fair, both leaving deep impressions on visitors.

Distinctive features alone are not enough; the industrial ecosystem also needs further improvement. At present, museum resources, intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, creative R&D and market operation operate in isolation in many regions, making it difficult for high-quality local cultural resources to achieve integrated development. Local authorities should remove bottlenecks, build platforms for cross-sector collaboration, focus on characteristic local industrial sectors, develop differentiated brands, shore up weak links across the industrial chain, and help city-themed tourist cultural and creative products gain greater fame and broader market access.

Tourist cultural and creative products should break out of traditional sales venues such as scenic spot stalls and museums. For a long time, these products have suffered from limited sales channels, weak communication effects and a narrow consumer reach. On the premise of reliable product quality, more premium cultural and creative products should step out of cultural tourism-specific scenarios and enter urban commercial districts and leisure blocks. Besides, digital technologies and new media platforms can be leveraged to upgrade static cultural and creative products into immersive cultural services, enabling tourists to take home a souvenir as well as exclusive memories of the city.

Though small in size, tourist cultural and creative products connect to vast consumption potential. By exploring local features, streamlining industrial chains and expanding application scenarios, regions can blaze an innovative path for city gifts and achieve a win-win outcome for cultural value and economic benefits.

Source: China Consumer News

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