Research on the Pathways for the Digital Economy to Empower the High-Quality Development of Hainan's Cultural and Tourism Industry

The rapid growth of the digital economy has emerged as a significant driver for the high-quality transformation and sustainable development of Hainan's cultural and tourism (cult-tourism) industry. From the perspective of digital-technology empowerment, this study conducts a systematic examination of the foundational conditions, current integration status, and existing bottlenecks in the digitalization of Hainan's cultural and tourism sectors. Specifically, it analyzes the extent to which digital infrastructure, data resources, and intelligent application scenarios have been integrated into the industry, highlighting both achievements and limitations. The research further explores potential upgrade pathways, including the construction of comprehensive digital platforms, cultivation and optimization of key data elements, innovation in smart service and experiential scenarios, and improvement in governance and operational mechanisms. The findings indicate that digitalization not only enhances service quality and operational efficiency but also increases industrial value, fosters cross-sector collaboration, and strengthens Hainan's regional competitiveness in the cultural and tourism landscape. Based on these insights, the study proposes actionable policy recommendations, such as expanding and modernizing digital infrastructure, reinforcing institutional and organizational support, promoting coordinated multi-stakeholder collaboration, and leveraging data-driven strategies for informed decision-making. Collectively, these measures aim to guide and accelerate the high-quality, sustainable development of Hainan's cultural and tourism industry, ensuring it can adapt to evolving technological trends and meet the growing expectations of both domestic and international visitors.