A number of local governments in China have introduced measures, such as handing out vouchers and staging special events, to promote tourism and attract visitors during the spring travel peak.

China's eastern Jiangxi province said on Feb. 26 that it would give coupons worth a total of CNY80 million (USD11.5 million) to tourists. Before that, it held events in Shanghai to promote its local culture and announced discounts and fee cuts for Shanghai residents wishing to pay a visit.

Sichuan province's cultural and tourism department plans to hold events in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to promote tourism.

The marketing strategies of local government may encourage people to travel to places they have not yet visited or were not even aware of, playing a vital role in promoting local tourism, Pan Yongjian, a professor at Chongqing University, told Yicai Global.

A special event to promote and introduce Guangzhou's culture and tourism was held in Hangzhou yesterday. About 100,000 visitors travel to the southern Chinese megacity from Hangzhou with travel agencies every year. The number is expected to recover this year to more than 90 percent of the pre-pandemic level of 2019.

The heads of cultural and tourism bureaus in some areas of China have become well-known for their social media livestreaming events that promote local tourism. Among them, the most famous are Liu Hong from Sichuan's Gari Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Xie Wei from Hubei province's Suizhou, and Du Bo from Heilongjiang province's Tahe county.

Local officials in livestreaming events have a novelty factor, Pan noted. But real marketing is word of mouth, so the development of sustainable tourism is determined by the uniqueness and service level of tourist attractions, he pointed out.