Research on the Innovative Development of Cultural Heritage Scenic Spots Under the Background of Cultural Tourism Integration

Against the backdrop of deep integration of culture and tourism and the activation and utilization of cultural heritage, how religious cultural heritage scenic areas can achieve coordinated development in heritage protection and inheritance, tourism upgrading, cultural and creative development, rural revitalization, and international communication has become a critical research topic. Taking Yiju Temple in Lin County, Lüliang City as a case, this study adopts field research, questionnaire survey, data statistics, and case analysis. Based on 93 valid questionnaires, it systematically analyzes tourist experience, cultural and creative demand, communication characteristics, and service evaluation. A five-in-one development path of Cultural Decoding – Digital Preservation – Product Innovation – Industrial Collaboration – International Communication is constructed. By establishing a Chinese-English bilingual database of Buddhist cultural elements, developing Zen-themed cultural and creative products, building a “Scenic Spot + Farmers” common prosperity mechanism, and conducting overseas communication via short videos, this study explores an innovative development model for religious cultural heritage. The findings show that the core visitors of Yiju Temple are young students aged 18–25, who heavily rely on short-video platforms for information. The overall tourist experience is positive, but basic services such as transportation and guidance need improvement. Tourists emphasize cultural connotation, practicality, and cost-effectiveness, with medium and low-price products being most acceptable. Short videos show outstanding advantages in both domestic attraction and international communication. This study concludes that digitalization for preservation, targeted cultural and creative products, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and lightweight communication can effectively boost the high-quality development of cultural heritage scenic spots and provide a replicable paradigm for similar religious cultural heritage sites along the Yellow River Basin.

cultural tourism integration; cultural heritage; Yiju Temple; cultural and creative products; tourist experience; international communication

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