Development Framework and Optimization Strategies for New River-Sea Canal Tourism Projects During the Navigation Window Period: A Case Study of the Pinglu Canal 
Zhang Zhili1  Qin Fangbin2（corresponding author）  Wei Chun3

1 School of Geographic Sciences and Planning Nanning Normal University，Nanning City Guangxi，530000；

2 Natural Resources Bureau of Qintang District Guigang City, Guangxi，Guigang City Guangxi，537100；

3 School of Civil and Architectural Engineering Baise University，Baise City Guangxi，533000；

Abstract: As a core strategic hub project of the New Land-Sea Corridor in the West, the Pinglu Canal is scheduled to officially open to navigation in September 2026. As a newly constructed artificial canal in the new era, it possesses the advantages of late-stage planning, the combined benefits of river and sea resources, and the synergistic effects of multiple policies. However, its cultural and tourism development remains in the early preparatory stage and faces practical challenges such as fragmented resource integration, gaps in the business ecosystem, insufficient regional coordination, a lack of brand recognition, and significant constraints on ecological development. This paper adopts a core perspective of tourism development and planning, and, in light of the need for preemptive development prior to the opening-to-traffic window, constructs an optimized tourism development system tailored to the Pinglu Canal’s unique characteristics of river-sea integration. It proposes a differentiated, sustainable, and actionable path for planning enhancement. The study aims to fill the gap in academic research on the preliminary development of cultural and tourism projects for newly constructed strategic canals, enrich the theoretical framework of modern artificial canal tourism planning, and provide practical guidance for the high-quality development of cultural and tourism initiatives along the Pinglu Canal, the upgrading of Guangxi’s cultural and tourism industry, the empowerment of the Western Land-Sea New Channel through cultural and tourism initiatives, and the revitalization of rural areas along the canal.

Keywords: Pinglu Canal; canal tourism; tourism development planning; river-sea integration; regional coordination

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