Hubei's tourism data on the first day of National Day is impressive: A-level scenic spots received 1.5888 million tourists

China News Service, Wuhan, October 2 (Reporter Liang Ting) The reporter learned from the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism on October 1 that on the first day of the National Day holiday in 2026, the province's A-level tourist attractions received a total of 1.5888 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 7.43%. The average occupancy rate of star-rated hotels was 62.13% (number of rented rooms/number of rentable rooms), a year-on-year increase of 2.02 percentage points.

On the first day of the National Day holiday, the Gulongzhong Scenic Area in Xiangyang, Hubei Province has a strong festive atmosphere. Photo courtesy of Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Various cultural tourism activities are carried out across Hubei, and "China Red" has become the most shining and popular element in the holiday cultural tourism market. The Wuhan Yangtze River Light Show National Day special theme has been launched with a new theme. Thousands of buildings on the two rivers and four banks are lit up simultaneously, giving citizens and tourists a bright light and shadow show and holiday blessings. Guishan TV Tower held a landmark lighting ceremony and carried out activities such as a flag-raising ceremony on the first day of the National Day, reflecting the feelings of home and country with the glory of the city's landmarks.

Taking the 2026 Yangtze River Culture and Art Season as a guide, the province's museums, libraries, cultural centers, art galleries, and grassroots cultural centers have been fully opened, and more than a thousand cultural exhibitions and intangible cultural heritage activities have been held. The Hubei Provincial Museum has extended its opening hours until 9 p.m., and the "Treasures of the Kremlin: From Peter I to Catherine II" Russian boutique exhibition has been widely sought after. The Jingzhou Museum has launched two themed exhibitions: interesting interactive cultural museums, an intangible cultural heritage handicraft experience and an exhibition of restoration achievements of calligraphy and paintings in the collection, and an ancient city history and culture exhibition to enrich tourists' cultural and museum research experience.

The Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism has collaborated with various regions to organize more than 2,100 cultural, sports and tourism activities, and launched a series of themed products, high-quality itineraries and high-quality cultural and creative products to stimulate market consumption vitality. Focusing on the characteristics of the golden autumn season, various regions have launched a series of new cultural tourism business formats and models to fully unleash the momentum of cultural tourism consumption.

Immersive experience and night economy ignite consumption vitality. Yichang City's Sanyoudong Scenic Spot has newly built the Su Shi-themed space "Sansu Pavilion" to create a new cultural check-in scene of "watching the Xiajiang River, reading about Sansu, and tasting tea"; the full-time immersive experience of Jingzhou ancient city has been upgraded, and "Jingzhou Twelve Hours·Millennium Fenghua Record" creates a new experience of "gathering tourists during day trips, retaining tourists at night, and consuming all the time".

It is reported that 88 scenic spots across the province have introduced discounts such as ticket exemptions. Yichang City has released 10 million yuan in holiday consumption coupons and 20 million yuan in prize invoices to allow citizens and tourists to enjoy benefits while visiting Yichang. Enshi Prefecture has coordinated more than 10 million yuan in financial funds to benefit the people, and launched three consumption-promoting policies: "ticket stubs can be exchanged for coupons, coupons can be obtained with full discounts, and tickets can be drawn for lottery". (over)