Liaoning launches global inbound tourism promotion event in Shenyang

Liaoning province launched its 2026 Liaoning Global Travel Trade Inbound Tourism Promotion Event in Shenyang on Tuesday, bringing more than 200 travel trade representatives, international travel influencers, industry experts, and media from Canada, France, Russia, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and elsewhere to discuss ways to expand inbound cultural tourism cooperation.

At the event, the Liaoning Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism released an inbound tourism guide and a report on the province's industry data.

The guide combines historical and cultural resources with coastal vacations, ecological wellness, industrial heritage, winter hot springs, and heritage cuisine to provide practical product guidance for foreign visitors to Liaoning.

According to the data report, Liaoning's inbound tourism visits increased by 30 percent in 2025, inbound consumption grew by 34.4 percent, inbound foreign tourists rose by 54 percent, and visa-free inbound foreign tourists increased by a factor of 5.7 year-on-year. As of the end of September, inbound were up 23.7 percent year-on-year and consumption up 34.6 percent. South Korea and Japan were among the leading source markets, with growth of 29 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively.

Huang Fang, director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, noted in a speech that foreign tourists have shown a clear preference for the border scenery along the Yalu River in Dandong, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) cultural relics in Shenyang, and coastal leisure in Dalian.

She added that Liaoning is improving its international inbound service support system, drawing on the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, 24-hour direct transit convenience in Dalian, optimized tax refunds for international travelers, and multilingual guides and one-stop service centers.

Shenyang, Dalian, and Dandong also presented their inbound cultural tourism resources at the event.

Ma Ning, director of the Shenyang municipal bureau of culture, tourism, radio, and television, highlighted the city's historical heritage and described its range of attractions to global travel businesses, noting that Shenyang is home to three World Cultural Heritage sites, including the Shenyang Imperial Palace. She said the city is using the momentum of the 15th National Winter Games in 2028 to develop winter hot spring tourism, and that the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and expanded duty-free shopping options are intended to create a warmer experience for international visitors.

Li Xinze, a cultural and tourism promotion officer for Dandong, presented the border city's attractions, describing "heroic red, border blue, mountain green, and the everyday bustle of city life". She noted that Dandong has a border port, airport, high-speed rail, river port, sea port, and highway, and invited visitors to walk the Broken Bridge over the Yalu River, take a boat to view the banks of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, explore the Yalu River Estuary Wetland and sample seafood barbecue on Antong Old Street.

The event also launched a travel guide co-creation initiative inviting international submissions, and held a dedicated travel trade negotiation session where domestic and foreign representatives discussed product development, local reception support, visa clearance, overseas payments, and multilingual services, reaching several preliminary cooperation intentions.

Huang described the event as a practical step in implementing the national strategy of expanding high-level openness and promoting cultural tourism consumption, and an exploration of a new pattern for inbound tourism during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). "Liaoning is willing to join hands with global travel traders to make Liaoning a pivot and model for cross-border tourism cooperation in Northeast Asia," she said.

During the event, international travel trade and influencer representatives are visiting Shenyang, Jinzhou, and Chaoyang to experience the province's natural scenery and cultural heritage.

Jia Yihan contributed to the story.