China's natural heritage sites thrive, boost local economies through tourism

China's world natural heritage sites are all maintained in a good state of conservation, with their ecological value economically benefiting local communities, according to an assessment report.

The report on the country's world natural heritage conservation and development from 1985 to 2025 was unveiled by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Friday.

China joined the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985. Currently, the country is home to 15 world natural heritage sites and four sites noted for both cultural and natural features, leading the world in quantity.

These sites cover about 80,000 square kilometers across 20 provincial regions, encompassing diverse ecosystems including mountains, forests, grasslands, lakes, wetlands, deserts, and coastal zones.

The report revealed that there have been no instances of severe human-caused damage to these sites, nor has any threat to their outstanding value been identified.

This positive trend is endorsed by international evaluation, said Yuan Jiming, director of the administration's nature reserve management department, at a news conference.

The four editions of the World Heritage Outlook published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature between 2014 and 2025 show that China's natural and mixed heritage sites consistently outperform global averages in conservation, he said.

Beyond strict protection, China has actively explored pathways to translate the ecological values of these sites into sustainable benefits for local communities.

"For years, we have been proactively developing eco-cultural tourism, nature education and study tours, and under-forest non-timber economies under the premise of sound protection," Yuan noted.

This has enabled the country to chart a preliminary course for the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, where conservation and development progress in synergy, the official said.

He stressed that these efforts have delivered substantial socioeconomic returns.

Notably, over 90 percent of heritage sites prioritize employing local residents in preservation roles, while tourism has emerged as a pillar industry in many regions. In sites such as Jiuzhaigou, Huangshan, and Wulingyuan, for example, tourism-related revenue accounts for more than 50 percent of local GDP.

In 2024, the 15 world natural heritage sites and the four mixed heritage sites received more than 180 million tourist visits, driving approximately 184.3 billion yuan ($26.6 billion) in consumption and cementing tourism as a pillar industry for local economies, Yuan said.