The Changsha Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television concluded an 8-day cultural tourism promotion event in Japan and South Korea recently. The event yielded good results and aroused strong interest of tourists and travel agents from the two countries.

The audience takes photos while watching a special performance. (Photo provided by the organizer)

The promotion event was arranged by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and mainly took place in Osaka of Japan and Seoul of South Korea. Changsha carried out a series of events such as cultural tourism promotions and Spring Festival celebrations in these two places, aiming to attract tourists from East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea in 2024.

Changsha presented its rich cultural tourism resources and diverse culture to the peoples of Japan and South Korea through performances, a photo exhibition, and intangible cultural heritage displays. At the photo exhibition, over 30 carefully selected pictures featuring Changsha's cultural tourism were on display, focusing on the four themes of landscape, history, internet popularity, and happiness. Art performances with Changsha characteristics were also staged, including folk music, classic dance, and flower-drum opera.

Changsha's intangible cultural heritage skills such as peach nut carving, seal cutting, Hunan embroidery, and Tongguan Kiln ceramic making were on show. Numerous attendees experienced these traditional skills with great interest.

People try their hand at seal cutting. (Photo provided by the organizer)

During the event, representatives from Changsha and persons in charge of China Juneyao Air's Japan and Changsha business departments reached a consensus on the resumption of Osaka-Changsha direct air route this year. Major travel agents from Kansai, Japan will be coordinated to visit Changsha as soon as possible. The head of the Overseas Marketing Team of the Incheon Tourism Organization of South Korea said that the tourism authority intends to arrange a visit for a delegation of major local travel agents to Changsha this year, aiming to promote Changsha to more South Korean tourists.

Representatives from Changsha also held meetings with counterparts from cultural tourism departments and enterprises in Japan and South Korea, including the All Nippon Travel Agents Association Osaka Branch, the Union of Chinese Residing in Western Japan, SK Group, the Incheon Tourism Organization, and Chang's Group. They conducted in-depth communication and exchanged their experiences in strengthening cultural tourism publicity efforts and fostering the exchange of tourists.