Chinese bureaus of culture and tourism are adopting new methods to promote regional tourism by posting short videos and as the pandemic is under control, the results are starting to show.

This year, bookings related to tourism have surged even from the same period before the pandemic in 2019 after bureau chiefs promoted their regions' cultural attractions, online news outlet The Paper reported, citing statistics from multiple travel agencies.

An insider in the tourism industry said that heads of regional culture and tourism authorities are becoming internet celebrities and so the areas they endorse are likely to attract more investments in the future.

In the two weeks that ended March 6, ticket reservations for scenic spots advertised by local cultural authorities grew by almost three times from a year ago and soared by 21 times from 2019, according to data released by travel agency Qunar.com. Hotel bookings in these areas increased by 76 times year-over-year with a 167-fold boost from 2019.

An insider at Qunar.com said to the Paper that the increase was mainly caused by recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, but authorities' promotional activities also had a role in facilitating growth. The trend of tourism officials turning into influencers took off late last year.