Integrated travel offerings fuel summer tourism surge
2026-09-02 19:09:06
By Yan Wanqin.
Yichang City’s summer tourism campaign concluded on August 30, capping a peak season fueled by the convergence of night cruises, mountain escapes and sports events.
On weekend evenings, the 10-kilometer riverside precinct teemed with visitors. At Zhenjiang Pavilion, traditional pipa tunes met electronic rhythms; at Dananmen, a local choir drew crowds; and at Yiling Yangtze River Bridge, young people gathered for night revelry.
Yichang City’s summer tourism campaign concluded on August 30, capping a peak season fueled by the convergence of night cruises, mountain escapes and sports events.
On weekend evenings, the 10-kilometer riverside precinct teemed with visitors. At Zhenjiang Pavilion, traditional pipa tunes met electronic rhythms; at Dananmen, a local choir drew crowds; and at Yiling Yangtze River Bridge, young people gathered for night revelry.
Visitors enjoy an evening performance at Dananmen. Photo by Wu Yanling.
Since May, the Yangtze River belt area has undergone phased upgrades. During summer, seven landmark zones were curated with distinct themes, creating an all-age inclusive nightlife district integrating cultural performances, social spaces, family activities and riverside commerce.
"We rotate shows every one to two weeks," said Chen Panpan, manager of the Zhenjiang Pavilion operator. A Qixi Festival special show featuring local cultural icon Wang Zhaojun (c. 52 – 15 B.C.) with traditional music, dance and magic acts drew full houses.
The summer campaign staged 165 core performances, attracting nearly 4 million visits. The Second Avenue Historical and Cultural Block saw a 30-percent year-on-year revenue jump in July-August. The Xiling District recorded an estimated 11.5 billion yuan (US$1.71 billion) in tourism income through August, up over 20 percent.
At 1,200 meters above sea level, the Bailihuang Scenic Area offered cool respite from summer heat. Its new "Qingqiu Fairyland" theme park drew visitors with immersive mythical performances, while the luge kept thrill-seekers busy.
"We used to see one-day visitors; now they stay two or three days," said Liu Jiaqi, deputy general manager of Bailihuang Tourism Company. The site received 546,000 visits this summer, up 21.3 percent year-on-year.
This is the third year of Yichang's "Brave Journey" campaign. Rafting, walking behind the waterfall, bungee jumping, cliff via ferrata, cliff elevators, water sports and mountain wellness experiences were all integrated into a tiered summer network.
Tourists experience night white-water rafting at Chaotianhou Rafting Scenic Spot.Each county had its customized offerings: Xingshan combined white-water thrills with wilderness camping; Yiling paired mountain breezes with waterfall scenery; Yuan'an offered forest therapy deep in Taipingding. Three themed adventure routes were designed for all ages. Social media tags, such as "#YichangBraveJourney,” garnered over 200 million views.
Visitors walk along the pathway behind the Three Gorges Waterfall to experience the waterfall up close.The summer's hottest attraction was the 2026 Hubei Provincial Football League. Sold-out stadiums were complemented by over 100 outdoor viewing venues where fans gathered.
A "ticket stub economy" model converted game tickets into citywide consumption coupons, linking sports with dining, retail and tourism. "Our scenic area drew 3,526 visitors via ticket stubs, and the tournament brought over 42,000 visitors from seven neighboring cities," said Liu Yang, marketing manager at Qing River Gallery.
Yichang also hosted national badminton, karate and dragon boat events, drawing thousands of athletes and spectators. "We hosted three national tournaments simultaneously - our hotel was fully booked all summer," said Zhang Shenghua, events manager at Minsheng Hotel. Sports tourism has emerged as a new growth engine for the city.
Yang Jing, Chen Xiangrui, and Zhao Kunpeng contributed to this story.
