The term “internet-famous city” used to be very popular in mainland China. In 2024, many cities that were once trending online have gradually disappeared from people’s sight. New internet-famous cities have also failed to emerge. Their decline inevitably prompts people to ponder: what exactly is preventing these cities from sustaining their internet fame?
In recent years, some internet-famous cities have come into view. For example, in 2023, Zibo, Shandong became the “internet-famous city” of the year due to its barbecue craze that took the internet by storm; Harbin, Heilongjiang attracted a large number of tourists with winter tourism resources such as the Ice and Snow Festival; and Tianshui, Gansu became popular because of a bowl of spicy hotpot.
With numerous travel guides and social media recommendations, these cities became overnight sensations, attracting millions of visitors.
However, the longevity of these hotspots is limited. As the novelty wears off, the number of tourists and the hype decrease. In July 5, 2023, China News Weekly reported that during that time, there were hundreds of Zibo barbecue restaurants listed for transfer on the 58.com website, with many highlighting new openings, renovations, and new equipment.
A local industry insider in Zibo mentioned that the main reason for most shops being transferred was lack of business and significant losses. At that time, transfers could help cut losses promptly, trying to recoup some losses before the Zibo barbecue market completely “cooled down”.
Especially for some businesses that had just entered the barbecue industry at that time, the decline in Zibo barbecue’s popularity had a significant impact on them.
A reexamination of various tourism data in 2023 reveals that internet-famous cities have fallen into a dramatic decline in popularity.
During the 2024 National Day holiday, Harbin’s data compared to the May 1st holiday showed a noticeable decline. In the first quarter of 2024, Harbin’s actual GDP growth rate was only 3.7%, lower than Dalian, Shenyang, and Changchun.
Additionally, the economic conversion rate of internet-famous cities is not high. Taking Zibo as an example, in the first quarter of 2024, the GDP growth rate was 4.5%, with a nominal growth rate of 2.67%, ranking at the bottom of the province, below the average level of Shandong Province. This indicates that although the online hype brought short-term growth in visitors, its impact on the overall economy is limited.
Tianshui’s year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2024 was 4.3%, lower than the average level of 5.9% in Gansu Province.
Heze, Shandong briefly gained popularity due to a viral video of “group dancing demons” at the train station square, but the hype quickly faded. Kaifeng, Henan attracted many tourists because of “Wang Po Matchmaking,” but as the hype waned, it gradually faded from people’s view.
During the 2024 National Day holiday, according to media statistics, internet-famous cultural and tourism cities that emerged since 2023, such as Jiangmen in Guangdong, Zibo, Rongjiang in Guizhou, Harbin, Kaifeng, and Tianshui, have collectively disappeared from major travel platforms’ rankings. People are unable to find the next internet-famous city to carry on the hype across the internet.
The appearance of “internet-famous cities” often relies on accidental events and the operation of local governments. However, combining various statistical data, the number of tourists and consumption in many internet-famous cities show a trend of slowing growth, unable to maintain their popularity in the absence of widespread support from the province.
More worrying is that some cities are experiencing a “closing shop wave,” and the resulting “vacant store for rent” phenomenon has increased the economic pressure on these cities.
By examining industry reports, mainstream media coverage, academic research, social media observation, and internet public opinion commentary, the fading of internet-famous cities can be attributed to several factors:
1. Short-lived traffic dividends: The rise of internet-famous cities often stems from a specific event, attraction, or food, making this short-lived trend difficult to sustain.
2. Serious homogenization: Many cities focus too much on imitation and lack unique cultural heritage and characteristics, leading to significant homogenization.
3. Inadequate infrastructure: Some cities experience an influx of a large number of tourists in a short period, but the infrastructure does not keep pace, resulting in poor visitor experiences and declining reputation.
4. Excessive commercialization: Excessive commercialization can disrupt a city’s original appearance, leaving tourists disappointed, even generating aversion.
5. Shift in media attention: In the internet age, people’s attention can easily be drawn to new things. Once a new internet-famous city emerges, the old ones are quickly forgotten.
The appearance of internet-famous cities seems to inject new vitality into local development, but behind it reflects a short-sighted development model highly dependent on internet traffic. This model often struggles to continue once the hype recedes.
As pointed out by recent articles focusing on high-end business analysis, now not only are people unable to find the next internet-famous city to carry on the hype, even the aura of the previous generation of internet-famous cities is beginning to fade. Internet-famous cities heavily rely on public opinion hype, and in the rapidly changing internet landscape, maintaining that hype is extremely challenging.
The article suggests that the “traffic illusion” of internet-famous cities should be shattered. Public opinion hype does not equate to economic value. Genuine urban development requires long-term planning and internal strength enhancements such as industrial development, legal business environments, and per capita income levels.
“In terms of economic value, factors like legal business environments, industrial development levels, and per capita income are likely far more important than the tourism consumption driven by an internet craze.”
The cooling trend of internet-famous cities in 2024 indicates that relying solely on internet hype cannot propel a city’s long-term development. Only by rooting in culture, focusing on development, can a city move from being an “overnight sensation” to achieving “lasting prosperity”.