From June 26 to 30, Wenzhou's cultural tourism made a resounding impact in the key tourist source cities of the Yangtze River Delta - Shanghai, Ningbo and Hangzhou. Through 3 specialized promotions in 5 days, it unveiled remarkable routes, forged numerous agreements and realized fruitful collaborations.
In a span of less than a week, Wenzhou has successfully positioned itself as a destination that is "exquisite, welcoming, grand, and inclusive", captivating the tourist source market of the Yangtze River Delta. It showcased new business models, landscapes, policies and routes, demonstrating its commitment to openness and its deep integration into the Yangtze River Delta.
Celebrating the Asian Games: themed tourist routes released
On June 26, the 2023 Wenzhou's Cultural Tourism Promotion & Public-Interest Bazaar event took place in Shanghai. Hundreds of Wenzhou dishes, together with intangible cultural heritage techniques and themed routes were presented at the bazaar. Through five aspects, including "Zhejiang Taste - Thousands of Dishes from Hundreds of Counties", "Charming Lodging in Zhejiang", "Zhejiang's Characteristic Souvenirs", "Craftsmanship from Hundreds of Families" and "Zhejiang Bazaars", attendees and Shanghai tourists better understood and experienced Wenzhou, fully immersing themselves in the new products and achievements of Wenzhou's cultural tourism.
As the first destination of this round of promotions in the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai has long enjoyed close trade and cultural ties with Wenzhou. The continuous progress of regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta brings all the more exchanges between the two places. With their distinct cultural and tourism resources, they share strong complementarity and vast potential for cooperation. During this promotion, Wenzhou's cultural tourism delegation lost no time to embark on a journey to Shanghai, aiming to establish a stronghold in the Yangtze River Delta, enhance communication and cooperation between the two places, achieve mutual complementarity, exchange tourist sources, and jointly elevate the influence, dissemination, and driving force of the cultural tourism brand.
During the event, ten Wenzhou Asian Games-themed cultural tourism routes were unveiled, including the Yandang Mountain-Nanxi River landscape tour, Dongtou island tour, and coastline tour. These routes manifested the vibrancy of "cultural tourism+sports", allowing visitors to experience Wenzhou's vibes of the Asian Games. Additionally, the event launched Wenzhou's cultural tourism healthcare and wellness routes, with a focus on three themed routes, i.e., Cangnan-Pingyang 168 Coastline Romantic Trip, Wencheng-Taishun Recreation and Leisure Trip and Yandang Mountain-Nanxi River Poetic Landscape Tour.
The promotion in Shanghai was just the first move for Wenzhou's entry into the Yangtze River Delta market. Following this, on June 29 and 30, Wenzhou's cultural tourism delegation continued its journey to Ningbo and Hangzhou, further expanding and consolidating its tourist source market in Zhejiang through the co-hosting of the Asian Games event and themed promotions.
At the cultural tourism promotion event in Ningbo, the delegation from Ouhai, Rui'an, and Yueqing promoted popular tour routes, inviting Ningbo residents to explore the magnificent peaks of Yandang Mountain, appreciate the scenic beauty of Ouhai, and experience the cultural heritage of Rui'an. In Hangzhou, five distinctive tours were recommended, such as the "Mountain, River and Sea Tour (Yandang Mountain, Nanxi River, Dongtou)", "Romantic Coastline Tour (Longwan, Rui'an, Pingyang, Longgang, Cangnan)", "Urban Fashion Experience Tour (Lucheng, Longwan, Ouhai)", "Recreation and Leisure Tour (Wencheng, Taishun)", and "Red Culture and Green Wilderness Tour (Dongtou, Rui'an, Pingyang, Cangnan, Taishun)".
Exploring the enchanting Wenzhou: market activated by policies
In addition to promoting the visibility and reputation of "Wenzhou - Poetic Wonderland", and effectively introducing Wenzhou to the tourist source markets in the Yangtze River Delta, the three promotions employed enticing policies and incentives to accelerate the conversion from brand promotion to actual tourist visits, lure visitors into the enchanting Wenzhou, and drive growth of consumer spending in the cultural tourism market.
At the promotion in Shanghai, the counties (cities and districts) laid out their cultural and tourism incentives one by one, and representatives of travel agents present eagerly captured the moment with their mobile phones. Both sides acted in earnest sincerity and the promotion officer even calculated the profits for Shanghai's travel agents on the spot. By connecting the four places of Wencheng, Taishun, Pingyang, and Cangnan in a route, and organizing a 500-person high-speed train tour for a 5-day, 4-night trip, it is possible to receive a maximum combined group reward of 211,000 yuan in accordance with the incentive guidelines of each place. At the meeting, the Wenzhou Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism also signed strategic cooperation agreements of "Transporting Ten Million Yangtze River Delta Tourists to Wenzhou" with the Shanghai Tourism Industry Association Travel Agency Branch, Zhejiang Provincial Travel Agency Association, Travel Times Society etc., and awarded a flag to the "Tour in Zhejiang - 'Fun' Tour in Wenzhou Experience Group". Soon, the group will travel to Wenzhou with the flag for a 3-day "Fun Tour in Wenzhou".
Different from Shanghai tourists, tourists from Hangzhou have already arrived in Wenzhou to explore its mountains and sea and enjoy a vacation filled with leisure. At the promotion in Hangzhou, the Wenzhou cultural tourism season was officially launched, offering over 50 diverse and exciting cultural tourism activities. These activities have ignited the enthusiasm of both local residents and tourists, encouraging them to "welcome the Asian Games, enjoy the events, and explore Wenzhou". Some of the highlighted activities include the "Jiushan Association of Dramatists - Song Dynasty Opera Warehouse", "Nanxi River West Lake Music Festival", "Liu Bowen Cultural Festival", "168 Gold Coastline Self-driving Camping Festival", "Nanxi-Yongjia Academy Water-Sprinkling Festival", "Xinhong Blue Sea Cool Wave Music Festival", "Taste of Lucheng Food Week" and "Nanyang Bazaar". During the event, Zhejiang China Travel Service Group Co., Ltd., Wenzhou Happy International Travel Agency Co., Ltd., and Wenzhou Shunda International Travel Co., Ltd. signed agreements of transporting tourist source with Yueqing Yandang Mountain Chaoyang International Travel Agency Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Xizi International Travel Agency Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Guoda Holiday Tourism Co., Ltd. respectively.
In Ningbo, the delegation of Yandang Mountain, Ouhai, and Rui'an joined forces to unveil a range of enticing travel welfare policies specifically tailored for the Ningbo market. They extended a sincere invitation to friends in Ningbo to come to Wenzhou and experience the excitement of the Asian Games, indulge in the breathtaking landscapes, stay in exquisite accommodations, and savor the delectable local cuisine.