On April 21, the 2026 Gansu Inbound Tourism International Travel Agents Conference—hosted by the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism—kicked off in Lanzhou. The conference aims to build a platform for cultural and tourism enterprises both domestically and internationally to connect, communicate, expand sales channels, optimize resource allocation, and enhance product supply.

As an important birthplace of Chinese civilization, Gansu boasts diverse cultural heritages—including the culture of its ancestors, Silk Road culture, Dunhuang culture, and Great Wall culture—and ranks among the top provinces in the country in terms of cultural resource abundance.In recent years, Gansu has leveraged its unique advantage as a must-pass destination for Silk Road tourism worldwide and continuously improved the facilitation level of inbound tourism. At present, Gansu has established three international land ports and two international airports, forming a modern, three-dimensional transportation network that integrates high-speed railways, expressways, and aviation. The province has launched eight international and regional air routes and plans to add three more by the end of August this year. It is also optimizing the service quality of inbound tourism across multiple dimensions—including transportation, telecommunications, and payment.It is widely recognized that inbound tourism in Gansu Province has been growing steadily year by year. In 2025, Gansu Province received 393,900 overseas tourists, representing a year-on-year increase of 60.8%.

Zheng Hao, Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance, said that in recent years, Gansu has vigorously promoted the integration of culture and tourism and continuously improved the quality of its tourism services. From merely“admiring the scenery” to“having immersive experiences”, Gansu has transformed the much-celebrated“poetry and distant places” into tangible, engaging experiences that tourists can participate in, take home, and cherish.Currently, China’s inbound tourism is entering a new stage of high-quality development. The World Tourism Alliance will support Gansu—a province rich in tourism resources and with remarkable achievements in the integration of culture and tourism—in continuously building an outstanding tourist destination that commands both international and domestic influence.

Dong Tao, Director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, stated that this conference is themed“Gansu: A Miracle on the Silk Road”. It actively promotes cooperation and exchanges with countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. We sincerely look forward to joining hands with travel agencies from all countries, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions to conduct in-depth cooperation in such fields as tourism product development, market promotion, tourist source exchange, and digital cultural tourism.

During the conference, all activities were pragmatic and efficient. In the promotion session, Gansu comprehensively showcased its cultural and tourism resources, distinctive themed travel routes and international air route products, and presented latest initiatives on facilitating inbound consumption experience via convenient mobile payment services.In the procurement and negotiation session, overseas travel agencies participating in the conference conducted targeted cooperation matchmaking with local travel agencies in Gansu across multiple areas, including integrated scenic spot tickets, cross-regional route collaboration, research tourism product development, intangible cultural heritage workshops and overseas market promotion.

It is reported that, from April 22 to 28, overseas travel agents participating in the event will visit the Hexi Corridor, Gannan, Linxia, and other locations for a seven-day inspection tour. The event will focus on two distinctive routes: the“Essence of the Silk Road in the Hexi Corridor” tour and the“Ethnic Customs along the Winding Yellow River” tour. Participants will gain an in-depth experience of Gansu’s history, culture, and natural wonders, thereby further promoting cultural and tourism cooperation along the Silk Road to a deeper level.