Hunan receives 21.0214 million tourists during New Year’s Day holiday

During the 3-day New Year’s Day holiday, Hunan received 21.0214 million tourists, with a year-on-year increase of 65.5%. The total expenditure of tourists reached 20.754 billion yuan, up 79.5% year on year.

There was a strong atmosphere of New Year. A series of diverse activities were held in Hunan to welcome the New Year, presenting a happy and peaceful festive atmosphere.

The 2023 Hunan Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Market opened at Yanghu Water Street, Changsha City, which was a cultural and tourism event that integrates tourism, industries, performances and intangible cultural heritage. The Changsha Concert Hall has created New Year’s Eve concerts for citizens for five consecutive years, along with the rebroadcasting of the Chengdu “Zhigeng” Chamber Choir and the 2024 Vienna New Year Concert.

On the New Year’s Eve, tourists and citizens gathered to welcome the New Year at Wuyi Square.

A series of activities were carried out at the Emperor Yan’s Mausoleum in Zhuzhou City to pray for blessings and spark a warm response from the public.

Loudi City held a lantern riddle guessing activity to further enrich the cultural life of the public during the holiday. Pingtan Township in Huaihua City launched a series of activities to celebrate the Dong New Year, including stilt walking competitions, Lusheng performance, pig killing, Ciba making, and bonfire parties, allowing tourists to experience ethnic customs.

The key scenic areas such as Mount Hengshan, Shaoshan, Zhangjiajie, and Fenghuang Ancient Town were full of tourists, effectively driving the development of the tourism industry in Hunan during the New Year’s Day holiday. The tourist reception of major scenic areas such as Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Core Scenic Area, Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area, and Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area more than doubled year on year.

During the New Year’s Day holiday, a large number of citizens and tourists chose to take rural and short distance trips. The 11 rural scenic areas monitored in Xiangtan City received a total of 16,600 visitors, a year-on-year increase of 266.97%.

The rural courtyard by Liuye Lake, the homestay inns in the mountains of Taohuayuan, and the leisure farms in Dingcheng District of Changde City continued to be popular. Ten rural tourist attractions in Xiangxi Prefecture, including Zhushan Village, Laochehe Village, Morong Miao Village, and Shibadong Village, received a total of 15,400 visitors and achieved a revenue of 2.6059 million yuan, surging 156.02% and 2287.58% year on year respectively.

Shaodong City in Shaoyang City launched a variety of rural tourism activities with the theme of “Rural Revitalization”, which drove the supply and sales of local rural products in the surrounding areas.

The new formats and scenes continued to gain popularity. The AR technology and immersive tourism products provided tourists with new ways to enjoy the New Year’s Day holiday. The Jiuyi Mountain Scenic Area in Yongzhou City held a garden party by integrating traditional Chinese elements with current trend concepts, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the charm of Chinese culture.

The “Metaverse” Science and Technology Experience Hall in Zhijiang County, Huaihua City opened, and the application of technology elements brought tourists a comprehensive experience.

Nighttime cultural and tourism consumption gained more and more favor from tourists. The Beihu Nighttime Cultural and Tourism Consumption Cluster in Chenzhou City launched the “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Beihu” and Shuiyue Isle New Year’s Eve activities, receiving a total of 62,100 tourists, a year-on-year growth of 131.11%. Dongjiang Bay Tourism Resort in Chenzhou City created nighttime cultural and tourism consumer products and held a series of New Year’s Day carnival activities. It received a total of 56,900 tourists, rising 200.69% year on year.

Yuhou Street in Suxian District, Chenzhou City carried out a variety of wonderful night activities, and received a total of 57,852 tourists, a year-on-year increase of 66.69%.

In addition, the first Red Antique Art Collection Exhibition and the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Food Night Market were held in Anhua County, Yiyang City, welcomed by tourists and citizens.