Building an Age-Friendly Tourism Environment: Reflections on China's Profound Population Aging

Abstract

China’s rapid and profound population aging is driving strong growth in elderly tourism demand, yet the current tourism environment remains far from age-friendly. Barriers include inadequate infrastructure, misaligned services, limited information access, and weak socio-cultural inclusiveness. This study explores the urgency, core connotations, and key elements of building an age-friendly tourism environment, analyzing practical and institutional obstacles. From a social policy perspective, it proposes multi-level recommendations: strengthen top-level planning and standards, retrofit infrastructure, diversify and professionalize market supply, build inclusive information systems, foster a supportive cultural atmosphere, and improve regulation and incentives. These measures aim to help China address aging challenges, integrate aging initiatives with tourism, and enhance elderly well-being, while offering lessons for other countries undergoing similar demographic transitions.

中国快速而深刻的人口老龄化正在推动老年旅游需求的增长，但现有旅游环境的适老友好度仍严重不足，表现为基础设施不完善、服务错位、信息获取受限以及社会文化包容性不足。本研究探讨建设老龄友好型旅游环境的紧迫性、核心内涵与关键要素，并分析实践与制度层面的障碍。从社会政策视角提出多层次建议：加强顶层规划与标准，推进基础设施适老化改造，推动市场供给多样化与专业化，建设包容的信息系统，营造积极的文化氛围，完善监管与激励机制。这些举措旨在帮助中国应对老龄化挑战，促进养老事业与旅游业的融合，提升老年群体福祉，同时为其他处于类似人口转型的国家提供借鉴。