From its bustling capital of Changsha to the mountainous city of Zhangjiajie, Hunan province in Central China is abuzz with an influx of foreign tourists.

At the ongoing third Hunan Tourism Development Conference held in Hengyang from Friday to Sunday, provincial officials hailed inbound tourism as a driving force for the local economy and pledged to spare no effort in promoting Hunan's rich cultural and tourism resources to global visitors.

According to a report released by the Ctrip travel platform, as of Aug 25, the number of inbound tourism orders to destinations in Hunan increased by 137 percent year-on-year. Over the first six months of 2024, the province welcomed 1.4 million inbound visits, generating $364 million in revenue, representing increases of 5.69 and 6.68-fold year-on-year respectively.

Resumption of international flights, improvements in inbound travel, recovery of the inbound tourism supply chain and active marketing efforts are cited as contributing factors in the booming market.