Officials in SW China's Sichuan go out to promote local tourism through short videos

Directors of culture and tourism bureaus in southwest China's Sichuan Province have turned into ambassadors of their local tourism on short-video platforms, creatively advertising cultural and tourism resources in Sichuan.

On Feb. 8, a promo video about Daofu county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, went viral online. In the video, Gyaltsan Dorje, director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Daofu, appeared in various scenic areas in the county wearing different costumes inspired by the scenic areas.

The directors of the local culture and tourism bureaus in Sichuan are fiercely competing to promote their respective cultural and tourism resources, and many netizens said so after watching that video.

Wearing a spacesuit costume, Gyaltsan Dorje, director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Daofu county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, introduces a local scenic area in a video. (Photo/Sichuan Observation)

In 2020, Tamdrin, whose Mandarin name is Ding Zhen, and Liu Hong, director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau in Ganzi, successfully promoted the local cultural and tourism resources and became Internet celebrities.

The Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism timely summarized the successful experience and introduced the practice to more places in the province. In April 2022, it rolled out a promo video series, inviting directors of local culture and tourism bureaus in Sichuan to introduce their local cultural and tourism resources.

The first video featured Wang Feng, director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Meishan city, practicing Tai Chi. The video was widely circulated on various platforms, gaining more than 100,000 likes and being watched over 3 million times.

Wang Feng, director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Meishan city, Sichuan Province, practices Tai Chi in a promo video about the city's cultural and tourism resources. (Photo/Sichuan Observation)

The promo videos have greatly boosted the influence of Sichuan as a tourist destination. According to statistics provided by third-party platforms, Sichuan received the largest number of tourists in China during the Spring Festival holiday of 2023.

Hu Run, director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Yilong county, southwest China's Sichuan Province, introduces local cultural and tourism resources in a video. (Photo/Sichuan Observation)

By the end of 2022, more than 100 directors of tourism and culture bureaus in Sichuan had promoted their respective tourism and cultural resources through short videos. More than 110 promo videos had been produced, which had been watched over 350 million times across various platforms.

According to media reports, the promotion activity has garnered widespread attention for Sichuan. Still, it has also led to a trend of promoting cultural and tourism resources by directors of tourism and culture bureaus across the country.

He Zhihong, director of the Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Langzhong city, southwest China's Sichuan Province, introduces local cultural and tourism resources in a video. (Photo/Sichuan Observation)