Changsha is confirmed as a major global tourism destination

A gala features music and fireworks near a memorial for renowned Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (712-770), who once lived in the city.

Foreign participants take part in an international cycling competition in Changsha.

When Changsha attracted a record 1 million tourists last year, it confirmed the city's status as a major global tourism destination, said Tan Yong, director of the Changsha tourism bureau.
 
"We will build Changsha into a happy city to attract more tourists from China and abroad," he said.

The city's goal is for its tourism industry to generate combined revenue of 100 billion yuan ($16 billion) annually.

The city has been named one of the happiest cities in China for five consecutive years, Tan said.

The city's forest coverage rate surpasses 50 percent, making for a superb ecological environment. In Changsha, tourists can find beautiful scenery and rich culture in one place, Tan said.

The city's convenient transportation system also greatly contributes to its tourism.
 
"The huge throughput of the Changsha Huanghuagang International Airport and well-developed railways can fully satisfy tourists' needs," Tan said.

The airport covers a total area of 210,000 square meters and can accommodate large A380 aircraft.

Its passenger-handling capacity hit 14.75 million last year, ranking among the top cities in central China.

The airport has a handling capacity of 28 million each year.

The railway system will make it possible for passengers to reach Wuhan within an hour, Guangzhou in two hours, and most other major cities within five hours.
Furthermore, a subway system will be available in October, Tan said.

"The hotel facilities have played an important role in tourism. Changsha has 84 star-rated hotels at the moment, including the St. Regis, the Westin, Kempinski, and Shangri-La," said Tan.

Hotels with different styles, including Mediterranean scenery as well as automotive or romantic theme rooms are on offer.

There are also many economically priced chain hotels to meet the needs of backpackers, Tan said.

Tan said city leaders remain keenly aware of the challenges ahead, noting that public services need to be improved.

"We will promote quality tourism and step up market supervision to enable tourists to enjoy considerate and faithful services," said Tan.

"The increasing numbers of tourists will challenge our public service system, but we'd love to offer 24-hour information and complaint services," Tan said.
To date, Changsha has held promotional events in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech, Poland, Brazil, Chile and Australia. More than 10,000 Russian tourists visit Changsha every year.
 
To better serve overseas tourists, the city has also encouraged tourism agencies to open offices in Australia, South Korea and Japan.

The city government promised to offer heartfelt services to tourists, and a campaign is under way to promote the establishment of tourism consultancy centers, logistics centers and the construction of a transportation logo system.