1. National Research Base for Innovation & Development of Red Tourism - Jiangxi Red Tourism Research Center of Nanchang University

The National Research Base for Innovation & Development of Red Tourism - Jiangxi Red Tourism Research Center of Nanchang University was established in September 2017. It is one of the first five National Research Bases for Innovation and Development of Red Tourism certificated by the former National Tourism Administration.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Center undertook a number of significant projects related to Jiangxi red tourism development strategies and promotion measures, including the construction of a pilot project to cultivate national red tourism docents in Jiangxi, a National Red Tourism joint survey for East China Region, a training and research survey of nationwide red tourism, and the formulation of a three-year practice guideline for the development and protection of red tourism resources in Jiangxi Province. The Center released the first set of five handbooks for the training of red tourism docents and four typical commentaries and interpretation materials for nationwide well-known red tourist attractions. It also contributed to the draft of the Management Measures on Quality Red Tourism Docent in Jiangxi Province and the Selection Scheme of Top-level Red Tourism Docent. The Center trained 280 quality red tourism docents for Jiangxi Province and supervised many students in professional activities such as participating in the National Red Tourism Creative Competition. In addition to hosting and organizing the Seminar on Innovation and Development of Red Tourism in the New Era, the Forum on Innovation and Development of Red Tourism Resources and Improvement of Product’s Cultural Quality, and the Second Forum on Integration, Innovation and Development of Red Cultural Tourism, the Center has long been involved in alleviating poverty at a local level, such as in Ruijin and Shangyou.

Research direction: red tourism, red tourism brand construction, integrated development of red tourism and holistic tourism, and red tourism training and research.

2. Tourism Research Institute of Nanchang University

It’s a Nanchang University-affiliated research institution within the School of Tourism. It belongs to the source think tank of Chinese Think Tank Index (CTTI), and is the major institution for pilot construction of new think tank in Jiangxi Province.

The Tourism Research Institute was originally known as the Tourism Planning and Research Center of Nanchang University founded in 2003. The Center was designated as the Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of General Higher Education Institutions of Jiangxi Province in 2006. In 2017, it was officially renamed as Tourism Research Institute of Nanchang University and shared space with Jiangxi Red Tourism Research Center of Nanchang University. In September 2017, the Tourism Research Institute was certificated as a National Research Base for Innovation and Development of Red Tourism.

Research direction: red tourism, tourism branding, social and cultural changes of tourism destinations, and holistic tourism development.

3. Institute of Culture & Tourism, Nanchang University

This institute is an independent research institution affiliated to the School of Tourism of Nanchang University, focusing on researches of domestic and worldwide cultural and tourism development strategies, policies, planning, project-construction operation, and marketing. The institution collaborates with local governments and companies on cultural projects, such as industry surveys and standard drafting and revisions.

Research direction: researches on integration of red culture and tourism industry, tourism branding, social culture of tourism destinations, as well as on tourism enterprise strategies.

4. Collaborative Innovation Center of Strengthening Jiangxi’ Tourism

The Center was established in 2017. Now it is a Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Jiangxi Province. In order to strengthen Jiangxi’s tourism industry, the Center devotes to building up a research platform with joint efforts of young scholars, discipline specialists and industry professionals to carry out relevant theoretical and practical research in according with the following four areas: integration of multiple industries and cultivation of new business patterns, upgrades of the existing business models, construction of industrial cluster and tourism economy cooperation zone, and smart tourism and hospitality innovation.

The Center has funded four projects and undertaken more than 100 tourism plans at the provincial-level, municipal-level, county-level and for specific scenic spots. Moreover, it has provided a large amount of policy consultation, public education and training services for regional tourism development

Research direction: red tourism, tourism geography, tourism resource management, tourist economy, and tourism supply chain

(Data up to October 2022, reviewed by Jia Wang)