Climate change is driving a notable increase in the frequency of extreme high-temperature events, with global warming intensifying these occurrences. This study centers on Shihezi City, Xinjiang, a typical urban area in the arid and hot regions of China, and selects Scenic spot A-a key tourist attraction carrying the cultural heritage of military reclamation-as the research subject. This study reveals differences in thermal regulation efficiency among various landscape elements based on summer microclimate data from 2021 to 2022 and simulations using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). The research findings indicate that in arid and hot regions, tall trees have the most significant impact on optimizing the thermal environment of scenic areas. Following this, high-reflectivity materials and water bodies also contribute to cooling, while lawns provide a weaker cooling effect. Furthermore, targeted optimization and improvement strategies are proposed based on the unique characteristics of different outdoor functional zones within the tourist scenic area. After optimization, the UTCI decreased by 1.4-1.8 degrees C in the first scheme and by 1.7-2.0 degrees C in the second scheme. Both optimization schemes show a significant cooling effect. This study establishes a thermal safety threshold model for cultural tourism spaces in arid regions, offering guidance for thermal comfort design in outdoor tourist attractions. It contributes to sustainable practices for cultural heritage sites in extreme climates, enhancing the livability of scenic outdoor environments. It provides wisdom for global ecological governance in response to climate change and the desertification crisis.