Published on: 2026-07-30
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Changsha, July 30 /Xinhua/ — In the first half of 2026, the flow of tourists from Eurasian countries to the Chinese tourist city of Zhangjiajie (Hunan Province, Central China), where peaks and cliffs of bizarre terrain shapes that inspired the creators of the film “Avatar” are located, increased significantly, local authorities reported.
Data show that from January to June this year, the number of Kazakhstani tourists who visited Zhangjiajie increased more than 6 times year-on-year, the number of Uzbek tourists – about 10 times, and the number of Russian tourists – more than 4 times.
The deputy general director of a travel agency in Hunan province, Ding Shibiao, linked the increase in tourist flow from these countries to the visa-free regime. According to him, since the introduction of the mutual visa-free regime between China and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, more and more tourists from these countries have been visiting China. At the same time, the number of direct flights between China and the two Central Asian countries continues to increase, providing convenience for tourists from Central Asia entering China.
Local authorities are working on improving the quality of service for tourists from Eurasia. Recently, in the picturesque area of the Huanglongdong cave in this city, two ticket machines with multilingual functions, including Russian, appeared. In addition, local hoteliers are expanding the potential of hotels and inns in aspects such as reception and accommodation.
The owner of a local hostel, Juan Ali, said that her establishment had only 7 rooms when it opened in 2023, and now the number of rooms has increased to 40, where 120 people can be accommodated. She even improved her knowledge of Russian to communicate with guests on simple topics.
In recent years, Hunan Province has been actively showcasing its tourism resources and projects to Eurasian countries. In September 2025, hundreds of travel agents, bloggers, and representatives of the tourism industry from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other Eurasian countries were invited here for a tour. In March of this year, the provincial delegation participated in the International Travel and Hospitality Industry Exhibition MITT in Moscow.
In July, Zhangjiajie hosted the presentation of 8 tourist routes for inbound tourism in Hunan, including a “forest wellness tour” for the Russian-speaking tourist market, which covers a forest tour, traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy, and visits to mountain hot springs. Russian-language services will be available throughout the tour.
China is increasing efforts to attract inbound tourists in order to stimulate consumption and deepen international exchanges. According to its new five-year tourism development plan, the country aims to attract 190 million inbound tourists per year by 2030.
The document approved by the State Council of the PRC provides that by 2030, inbound tourists’ spending in China will exceed 150 billion USD per year. It also calls for improving the quality of tourist services and strengthening the global presence of the Chinese tourism industry. -0-
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