Aim and tasks. Substantiation of proposals for improving the organizational forms of development of the tourism industry of the PRC based on the analysis of its current state and the implementation of the practical experience of the Russian Federation. To consider the stages of tourism development in China and the evolution of the tourism management structure; to analyze the localization of attractions in the China (in the context of category 5A tourist sites and UNESCO heritage sites); to perform a cluster analysis of category 5A tourist sites using a geographic information system (GIS); to substantiate proposals for improving the organizational forms of development of the tourism industry of the China. Methods. The basis and methods of the study: a systems approach, logical analysis and synthesis, cluster analysis, geoinformation analysis, content analysis of open sources. Results. The chronology of tourism development in China has been studied. The analysis of the localization of category 5A tourism sites and UNESCO cultural heritage sites has been performed. A cluster analysis of top-category tourist sites has been conducted using GIS. Proposals for improving the organization of tourism in China based on a spatial approach and the creation of a tourist macro-territory have been substantiated. Conclusions. When developing strategic documents for the development of the tourism industry of the PRC, it is advisable to implement the Russian experience of forming macro-territories using the master plan tool, and the China Development Bank can become the methodological center of this process. For the implementation of the pilot project to create the first tourist macro-territory, the territory of the “Eastern Cluster” is recommended, in which 25% of category 5A tourist sites and 25 % of sites included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites are localized. A promising vector of research is the consideration of the tourism sector of the China in the context of the implementation of the global project «One Belt - One Road» taking into account the interests of the BRICS integration association.
