As visitor numbers surge, Guizhou is changing its focus from transit travel to a destination for sustained engagement, Yang Feiyue reports.

Mountains, rivers and bridges have long shaped Guizhou's landscape. Now they are shaping its ambitions. The mountainous province in Southwest China is accelerating efforts to build itself into a world-class tourism destination, drawing on its ecological strengths, cultural diversity and improving infrastructure to attract visitors from both China and abroad.

"Guizhou is a magical and beautiful place," says Cai Chaolin, vice-governor of Guizhou province, at a tourism industry conference held in partnership with a major online travel agency earlier this month.

Cai highlights the province's ecological credentials, noting that its forest cover stands at 63.3 percent and that the proportion of days with good air quality remains above 98 percent.

READ MORE: Harmonizing film with ancient tradition

He adds jokingly that the remaining days are largely due to fireworks set off during Spring Festival.

With an average summer temperature of 23 C, Guizhou has become a popular destination for summer retreats and long-stay travel, industry experts at the conference say.

Transport infrastructure, once a limiting factor, has undergone rapid improvement.

Guizhou now has more than 9,000 kilometers of expressways and over 4,000 kilometers of railways.

"All of our counties are connected by highways, and all nine cities and prefectures are served by airports and high-speed rail," Cai points out.

The province is also home to around half of the world's 100 highest bridges.

"The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, which opened in September last year as the world's tallest bridge, has quickly become a widely shared online attraction," he says.

Guizhou's tourism heat index has consistently ranked among the top three nationwide in Trip.com's monthly monitoring.

When the final figures are in for 2025, it is expected that both tourist arrivals and total tourism spending will have continued to grow, with inbound tourism recording a year-on-year increase of 50 percent, Cai says.

Efforts are underway to diversify tourism offerings and improve quality.

Guizhou is promoting the integration of culture, tourism, sports, specialty liquor, bridge tourism and wellness-oriented long-stay travel, according to local authorities.

Grassroots events such as the Village Super League and Village Basketball Association have drawn massive online attention, with related content having received over 100 billion engagements.

Service capacity and digital tools are being upgraded in parallel.

The province is expanding multilingual guide services, improving cross-border payment services, planning inbound duty-free stores and promoting small-group travel products, Cai says.

Smart tourism platforms such as "One Code Touring Guizhou" and AI-powered tourism services allow visitors to customize itineraries and connect more efficiently with offline service providers, he adds.

The province has also opened 15 international air routes and plans to expand the number to more than 25 during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), with the goal of attracting over 2.5 million inbound visitors annually.

Incentive policies have also been introduced to encourage travel agencies to bring more international tourists to the province, Cai explains.

The online travel agency above-mentioned has observed a systematic upgrade in the province's tourism development.

"We have witnessed the growth in scale, structural optimization, brand-building and industrial development of Guizhou's tourism sector," says Wang Wei, senior vice-president of the group.

He notes that online tourism reception and revenue in 2025 have grown by multiples compared with pre-COVID pandemic levels, while inbound tourism has become the fastest-growing segment, with consumption growth exceeding 50 percent for two consecutive years.

At the operational level, Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Group is working to translate these advantages into immersive, high-value experiences.

"Guizhou is a park province that can be experienced with all five senses," says Yang Kun, vice-general manager of the group.

ALSO READ: Experience Guizhou's gifts

From iconic natural landmarks, Red (revolutionary) heritage sites and ethnic traditions, to the Wang Yangming Philosophy — which originated in Guizhou — and Tunpu settlements (fortified villages) from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), she emphasizes that the province offers experiences that go beyond sightseeing.

Themed routes spanning astronomy, geology, intangible cultural heritage and mountain adventure, as well as integrated platforms supporting long-stay tourism and community-based services will be offered, she adds.

The goal is to accelerate Guizhou's transition from a transit destination to a place for deep and sustained engagement.

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn