Tourists visit a scenic area in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. People all over China enjoy the ongoing Spring Festival celebration in different ways. [Photo/Xinhua]
China’s annual televised Spring Festival gala has sparked a wave of interest in travel to the four cities featured as branches during the extravaganza.
On Friday, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the cities of Shenyang in Liaoning Province, Changsha in Hunan Province, Xi’an in Shanxi Province and Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, together with the main venue in Beijing, held a cross event interactive Spring Festival Gala. live on China Central Television.
Data from Tongcheng Travel showed that from Friday evening to Saturday, searches for branches of the gala holiday increased significantly, with the biggest gainers being Xi’an at 294 percent and Kashgar at 270 percent.
Last year, Kashgar received more than 33.22 million visitors, generating more than 27.3 billion yuan ($3.80 billion) in tourism revenue. This year, Kashgar’s tourism sector aims to receive 40 million visitors and achieve revenue of 34 billion yuan.
The Spring Festival is China’s most important festival, a time for family gatherings, and it ushers in an extended holiday period during which tourism proves popular.
On Tuesday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the total number of people traveling between provincial-level regions reached an estimated 301.4 million, an increase of 18.2 percent compared to the same period in 2023, Xinhua News Agency reported. on Wednesday.
According to online reservation website Meituan, as of January 21, tourism-related reservations, including hotel accommodation, scenic spot tickets, transportation, etc., from Lunar New Year’s Eve to the eighth day of Lunar New Year have increased by about seven times compared to last year.
Tuniu Travel Network pointed out in its 2024 Spring Festival tourism consumption forecast report that there is a clear trend of “inter-regional travel” during the holiday.
Specifically, tourists from Shanghai as well as Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Hunan provinces are more likely to choose the Beijing-Tianjin-Hubei region and the Northeast as their destinations, while tourists from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi and Shandong provinces and all three provinces in the northeast show a stronger desire to travel to Hainan, Guangdong, Yunnan and Jiangsu provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
At the Shenyang branch venue of the Spring Festival gala celebration, a performance featuring suwon, a traditional woodwind instrument and a piano duet, a contrasting combination of northeastern folk songs and modern rap, together with the unique snow and ice scenery, brought the festive atmosphere to climax. During the holiday, Shenyang also experienced its first tourism peak.
The location of the Changsha branch is located at the confluence of the Xiangjiang and Liuyang rivers and has attracted tourists and local residents since the Spring Festival Gala was broadcast.
According to the local Department of Culture and Tourism, Changsha has planned nine tourist routes during the holiday, focusing on the beauty of Changsha’s mountains and rivers, its rich culture and development momentum.
The Xi’an branch location combines tradition and modernity, presenting the audience with a millennium-spanning poetic duet that allows them to immerse themselves in the unique Lunar New Year atmosphere of the ancient city of Xi’an.
This poetic performance continued offline, becoming a highlight of Xi’an’s cultural tourism activities.