JOURNAL OF CHINESE ECONOMICS, 2014 Vol. 2, No.

1, pp 81-84
http://journals.sfu.ca/nwchp/index.php/journal

Tourism Performing Art and New Economic Development in Beijing

Ai-ping Ma1
Abstract: Tourism Performing Art Industry is part of cultural industry. Tourism art
performances are now considered an important destination attractor in many cities and
scenic spots in China. Beijing is taking its rightful place as it concentrates on
international arts. It is thus becoming a huge international showcase and
communication platform for the arts. This study accepts industrial innovation system
perspectives.
Key Words: Economic development, Tourism, Beijing
JEL Classification: L82, O18, R11

1.

Significance of Beijing Tourism Performing Art Industry

Similar to the high-tech industry, the cultural industry is another most prominent
industry in human history (Han & Hu, 2009). Performing arts belongs to the core
sector according to the cultural industry classifications in China.
Currently, there are over two hundred tourism art performances on stage across
China. Investments on these ventures have reached over millions of RMB and
exceeded over 153 million RMB in 2006. Impression Liu Sanjie, one of the earliest
and most famous performances, had an investment of 320 million RMB. The
exquisite background stage depicting mountains and water attracted hundreds of
tourists every evening in the southern minority region in China. In addition, the
performance provided hundreds of jobs for the locals adding to their economy.
Tourism art performances are now considered an important destination attractor in
many cities and scenic spots in China. According to World Tourism Organization
forecast, China will become the worlds number one tourist destination. Therefore,
research on tourism art performance is of significance both theoretically and
practically in China.
Knox (1995) developed three functional criteria of for being considered a
world-class city. They are: multi-national company business activity, international
affairs, and degree of cultural concentration. With regards to the third functionality, it
means cities throughout the globe play an important role in cultural influence. Paris in
the 1950s, New York in 1970 - 1980, and Tokyo in 1990 are great examples of cities
recognized for their contribution to world arts. In the 21st century, Beijing is taking its
rightful place as it concentrates on international arts. It is thus becoming a huge
international showcase and communication platform for the arts.
1

Professor, China Tourism Market Research Center, Beijing International Studies University.
Email: ma19632011@live.com

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Ai-ping Ma

Beijing, the capital of China, is also the political, economic, and cultural center of
China. It not only hosted the 29th Olympic Games in 2008, but the cultural art
performance market is vast offering variety and vitality. The performing arts groups
have actually grown to a heaping 620 by the end of 2013 bringing a 10.3% increase in
just one year. There are 1646 performance broker institutions which is a 6.9% increase
from 2012. The 123 major performing theaters in Beijing provided 23155 business
performances attracting 10.14 million attendees, and a whooping revenue of 1.442
billion RMB.
Beijing is a world-renowned tourist destination receiving 200 million tourists
annually. Despite the hustle and massiveness of the city, Beijing, with its flow of
people enjoys exclusive advantages. Seizing this as an opportunity, developing
tourism art performances embraces this myriad of people to include: tourists, business
travelers, government officials, investors, and locals. The US First Lady, Ms.
Obama, recently visited China. That is a good example of catering to the high-end
market of art performance. In March of 2014, Ms. Obama watched the Peking Opera
"Golden Monkey Greetings in the Dehe Yuan Opera Theater at The Summer Palace
in Beijing.
Out of the Beijing art performances provided now, over one-third of events belong
to tourism art performances. Beijing Cultural Bureau has indicated their desire to join
hand-in-hand with Beijing Tourism Bureau to promote Beijing tourism performances.
Their joint effort is predicted to increase tourism performances to over half of the total
market.
In 2011, important plans started in Beijing, along the southern axis of Beijing city
center. Two art-performing districts will be built by 2018 with a total predicted
investment of over forty-five billion RMB. It is speculated that approximately fifty
theatres will be in operation by that date. According to the Beijing local district
government, these districts will become the largest tourist art performance centers in
the world. The future is promising, but challenges, and problems, exist at the same
time.
Although some individual performances and theatres do operate well in Beijing,
there is still a lack in the clarity and overall image of the majority of the tourism
performances provided. Integrated planning, comprehensive management, and
marketing initiative are badly needed. On the other hand, the cooperation between
government and private sector needs to be discussed. Therefore, the research question
for this situation is: How shall we increase effective management innovation solutions
for the tourism art performance market in order to promote Beijing as an attractive
world tourism destination?
2.

Management innovations: Building a World-Class Tourist Destination

Cultural industry integrates economics, cultural studies, managements and other

multi-disciplines. Tourism Performing Art Industry is part of cultural industry. In the
North America, cultural industry adopts the logic of cultural economics. This study
accepts industrial innovation system perspectives. Here management innovation

Tourism Performing Art and New Economic Development in Beijing

83

adheres to a broad concept; it not only includes innovations within the industry, but
also discusses innovations with industry related institutions, systems, and connections.
Industry innovation management discusses the industry elements, conditions,
environment conditions, and system guarantees.
Innovation focuses on the newness of practices applied to the industry and
enterprises. Industrial innovation theory discusses the subject and object of innovation.
The essence of industrial innovation is the driving force along with mechanism.
Influence factors as well as experimental studies in particular industries are also under
discussion. Within the industry, management innovation includes: systems,
organizations, means, and methods.
The tourism art performance industry provides culture opportunities within
society achieving three principle goals, one of financial success while ultimately
creating spiritual enlightenment and a positive entertainment experience.
An international comparative perspective has provided researchers with other
successful examples such as modern art musicals on Broadway, the creative industry
in London, and the rich cultural atmosphere in Paris. Furthermore, Beijing is hopeful
in its endeavors to develop as a leading global cultural center with the objective of
becoming the capital of art performances. It will provide the world with a unique
authentic oriental experience combining the ancient with the new. For instance, the
national grand theatre in Beijing is Chinas National Art Performance Center (NAPC).
Top world-class performances stage there enticing tourists to visit weekly.
Beijing still could learn three things from Broadway. First, Broadway offers a
number of theatres for visiting tourists. Second, they encourage excellence by
honoring the arts with the Tony Awards. Third, their marketing campaign is
considered one of the best in the world. Also, there exists a huge gap in the tourism
revenue. In 2010, Beijing tourism art performance revenue reached 100 million RMB.
In comparison, New York Broadway revenue reached 6.26 billion. That is a 5.26
billion RMB difference. This demonstrates the earning potential for Beijing.
Internally, for the value chain of tourism art performance, it involves ideas and
script, production, firms, actors, theatre, agencies, and audiences. Each stage and
segment has different goals and various managerial focal points. Beijing could glean a
great deal in each stage from observing and adapting successful practices from other
countries. The problem in Beijing is how to find the key elements and processes for
tourism art performance innovation along with the value chain.
Externally, for environmental conditions and systems guarantees, public and
private sector partnership (PPP) should be discussed fully. It is essential to provide
sound environmental conditions, which attract these key cultural elements: creativity,
ideas, talents, financial capital and market. With these ideas in mind Beijing is sure to
become a world-class tourist destination.

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Ai-ping Ma

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