2025 Hunan International Cultural Tourism Festival Successfully Concludes: Empowering Inbound Tourism with Global Creativity
In golden September, 2025, Hunan once again took center stage with a series of fruitful cultural and tourism events. From September 15 to 19, the 2025 Hunan International Cultural Tourism Festival Ctrip Global Traveler (Greater Zhangjiajie) Content Creation Conference, jointly hosted by the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the People’s Government of Zhangjiajie, and Trip.com Group, came to a successful close. The event brought together 100 international travel influencers from 39 countries and regions across Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Over the course of four days, they embarked on an immersive journey through Hunan, capturing the province’s cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes as global travelers. Their work further enhanced the international visibility of the “Welcome To Charming Hunan” brand, accelerating Hunan’s rise as an international destination that blends cultural depth with a global outlook.
This year, Hunan has actively implemented the country’s Twelve Measures to Boost Inbound Tourism, advanced the construction of the Greater Zhangjiajie International Tourism Zone, and made notable progress in establishing Central China as a new hub for inbound tourism. According to Trip.com, from January 1 to September 14, 2025, inbound arrivals to Hunan increased by 45% compared with the same period in 2024 and by 202% compared with 2019. Inbound tourism spending rose by 51% year on year and by 241% compared with 2019. The creation conference designed themed travel routes covering Zhangjiajie, Xiangxi, and Changde, leveraging the global influence of these creators to promote Hunan’s inbound tourism on multiple fronts.
The 100 influencers immersed themselves in Hunan’s stunning scenery and cultural charm. They attended spectacular events such as the “Dance in Zhangjiajie” 2025 International Street Dance Festival and 11th WWL Wingsuit Flying World Championship; marveled at natural wonders like the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in Yuanjiajie and the Aizhai Bridge; and took on thrilling challenges such as bungee jumping from the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and rope swinging from the Bailong Elevator. They also strolled through Furong Town, Fenghuang Ancient City, and Taohuayuan for the history, heritage, brocade weaving (intangible cultural heritage) and the ancient stories of Zoumalou. The performances of Tianmen Fox Fairy, Charming Xiangxi, and Taohuayuan further immersed them in Hunan’s rich cultural and artistic offerings.
The event won high praise from global participants. Russian influencer Andrey Karpov, dressed as a Na’vi, exclaimed: “As an Avatar fan, I always dream of coming to Zhangjiajie. Now it comes true—this place is breathtakingly beautiful, a wonderland indeed.” Malaysian influencer Kong Ying Yi shared: “The night view of Furong Town is mesmerizing—riding the boat felt like traveling back in time.” Wong Suet Ling from Hong Kong, China added: “I’ve traveled the world and seen countless shows, but the large-scale water-based performance Taohuayuan was still absolutely stunning.”
With their unique international perspectives, the creators produced high-quality content highlighting Hunan’s natural wonders, culinary experiences, and intangible cultural heritage. Together, they reached an online audience of over 22 million followers worldwide, significantly strengthening Hunan’s image as a global tourism destination.
The conference also fully leveraged the global platforms of Trip.com and Tripadvisor to amplify its marketing impact. Based on in-depth analysis of attractions and user reviews, Tripadvisor released a comprehensive Hunan Travel Guide in English, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Traditional Chinese, offering valuable reference for international travelers. Meanwhile, the #MeetinHunan challenge launched on Instagram invited overseas users to share their own Hunan travel stories, creating a dynamic UGC ecosystem that inspired new journeys to the province.
This year, Hunan has actively implemented the country’s Twelve Measures to Boost Inbound Tourism, advanced the construction of the Greater Zhangjiajie International Tourism Zone, and made notable progress in establishing Central China as a new hub for inbound tourism. According to Trip.com, from January 1 to September 14, 2025, inbound arrivals to Hunan increased by 45% compared with the same period in 2024 and by 202% compared with 2019. Inbound tourism spending rose by 51% year on year and by 241% compared with 2019. The creation conference designed themed travel routes covering Zhangjiajie, Xiangxi, and Changde, leveraging the global influence of these creators to promote Hunan’s inbound tourism on multiple fronts.
The 100 influencers immersed themselves in Hunan’s stunning scenery and cultural charm. They attended spectacular events such as the “Dance in Zhangjiajie” 2025 International Street Dance Festival and 11th WWL Wingsuit Flying World Championship; marveled at natural wonders like the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in Yuanjiajie and the Aizhai Bridge; and took on thrilling challenges such as bungee jumping from the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and rope swinging from the Bailong Elevator. They also strolled through Furong Town, Fenghuang Ancient City, and Taohuayuan for the history, heritage, brocade weaving (intangible cultural heritage) and the ancient stories of Zoumalou. The performances of Tianmen Fox Fairy, Charming Xiangxi, and Taohuayuan further immersed them in Hunan’s rich cultural and artistic offerings.
The event won high praise from global participants. Russian influencer Andrey Karpov, dressed as a Na’vi, exclaimed: “As an Avatar fan, I always dream of coming to Zhangjiajie. Now it comes true—this place is breathtakingly beautiful, a wonderland indeed.” Malaysian influencer Kong Ying Yi shared: “The night view of Furong Town is mesmerizing—riding the boat felt like traveling back in time.” Wong Suet Ling from Hong Kong, China added: “I’ve traveled the world and seen countless shows, but the large-scale water-based performance Taohuayuan was still absolutely stunning.”
With their unique international perspectives, the creators produced high-quality content highlighting Hunan’s natural wonders, culinary experiences, and intangible cultural heritage. Together, they reached an online audience of over 22 million followers worldwide, significantly strengthening Hunan’s image as a global tourism destination.
The conference also fully leveraged the global platforms of Trip.com and Tripadvisor to amplify its marketing impact. Based on in-depth analysis of attractions and user reviews, Tripadvisor released a comprehensive Hunan Travel Guide in English, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Traditional Chinese, offering valuable reference for international travelers. Meanwhile, the #MeetinHunan challenge launched on Instagram invited overseas users to share their own Hunan travel stories, creating a dynamic UGC ecosystem that inspired new journeys to the province.
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