Huangshan city in East China's Anhui province has witnessed a remarkable surge in inbound tourism this year.
From January to October it played host to 161,100 inbound tourists, marking a whopping 166 percent year-on-year increase. Additionally, the city welcomed 2,635 inbound tour groups, comprising 39,324 visitors from 61 countries and regions.
As a globally influential tourist city in China, Huangshan is renowned for its breathtaking natural scenery and rich historical culture. Its very special urban character continues to attract visitors from around the world.
The rapid growth in inbound tourism has been attributed to the city's commitment to expanding its inbound tourism market – in so doing, retelling the story of Huangshan on the global stage.
This year, local government invited travel agents from Russia, the UK, Italy, South Korea, Germany, the US, Brazil, New Zealand and Switzerland on field familiarization trips. These efforts aimed to expand cooperation and promote the prosperity of the inbound tourism market.
In addition, Huangshan's cultural and tourism departments have conducted promotional campaigns in South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, inviting travel agents and media influencers to explore Huangshan.
Tailoring itself to the demands of international markets, Huangshan is now promoting new tourism formats such as "sports + tourism" and "performance + tourism”.
Moreover, the city is offering a wide range of products – like eco-tourism, study tours and wellness tourism – catering to different groups and expanding niche tourism markets.
China's continuously optimized visa-free policy has opened the doors for international tourists to visit the country. Huangshan has seized the opportunity by improving payments systems, accommodation and transport and scenic area services, leaving very positive impressions on folks from abroad.
On Sept 10, the 2024 Inbound Tourism High-Quality Development Conference announced the "Top 10 Scenic and Resort Areas Loved by Inbound Tourists", with Mount Huangshan among those recognized.
Currently, Huangshan is picking up the pace to turn itself into a world-class leisure, vacation and wellness tourism destination.
Moving forwards, plans are for the city to continue to strengthen its policy support, enrich tourism product offerings, improve inbound tourism services and to bolster its international marketing.
Tourists have some fun on a visit to Mount Huangshan. [Photo/Huangshan Daily]
About 20 travel agents from the US and Brazil have a ball in Huangshan on May 18-21. [Photo/Huangshan Daily]