Game on for tourism bureaus across China after Harbin travel frenzy

With the tourism frenzy making Harbin a focal point for winter travel, cultural and tourism departments from a variety of regions across China are finding creative ways to promote their local attractions. It's game on for cities and provinces across the country as they look to explore new and creative ways to promote tourism, both online and offline.

The most recent excitement came as Hebei Cultural and Tourism Bureau rebranded its social media account and began posting extensively about the province’s attractions – from city introductions and natural landscapes to culinary delights and cultural experiences.

On January 12 alone, the "Hebei Culture and Tourism" Douyin account released a total of 75 short videos, tripling the volume of posts for the first 11 days of 2024.

The culture and tourism bureaus of Sichuan and Guangxi have sent performance troupes to Harbin to introduce their scenic and cultural attractions. The cultural and tourism bureau of Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia put on a live performance to showcase the horsehead fiddle accompanying ethnic songs and dances on the streets of Harbin to entice visitors.

Wulingyuan District's Cultural and Tourism Bureau is also promoting the ancient Maogusi dance of the Tujia ethnic group in western Hunan Province. The dance originated from local sacrifice rituals and is now preserved as a cultural heritage.

Many departments are also teaming up with celebrities to further push the promotion. Henan Cultural and Tourism Bureau invited homegrown actor Wang Yibo to record a promotional video, while Hebei featured the actress and singer Zhao Liying, and Jilin authorities announced that actor Wei Daxun would become their tourism ambassador.

Competition for tourist attention ahead of the Spring Festival holiday between the various cultural and tourism departments is unfolding as a grand spectacle in its own right.

For the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, Hebei province will have 136 A-level tourist attractions offering free admission and discounted policies. Gansu's attractions, including Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring, Yumenguan Ruins and Yadan World Geological Park, will be free to visitors. Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism announced that Wuyishan's main scenic area will be free to tourists nationwide until April 30.

According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the 3-day New Year holiday, 135 million domestic trips were made, generating revenue of 79.73 billion yuan, triple the growth compared to the previous year.

The impressive New Year tourism figures have sparked the interest of many industry insiders, who are confident about the travel and tourism outlook for the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.