Into China's dreamscape beyond the clouds

With an ambitious goal of becoming a world-class tourist destination, Zhangjiajie city is launching a comprehensive upgrade of its tourism services and facilities, such as developing infrastructure and new tourism projects.

According to Tian Hongman, deputy director of the city's culture, tourism, radio, television and sports bureau, Zhangjiajie is striving to add new direct flights to key source tourist markets and increase flight links with major domestic cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. To attract independent travelers, a small portion of seats on international charter flights will be reserved for online platforms.

To manage visitor overflows, Zhangjiajie's major scenic areas have implemented crowd control and reservation systems, leveraging big data analytics to predict visitor flow patterns and requiring tourists to book specific time slots for entry.

She says local authorities are working together to enhance the multilanguage tour guide workforce. Measures include special training programs, partnerships between international travel agencies and colleges to foster foreign language tour guides, and establishment of service institutions to support the employment of such talent.

"We are upgrading our food services in line with international standards. This involves introducing global restaurant brands and diverse culinary options, while also fostering local food brands and developing snack streets," she says.

In addition to upgrading star-rated hotels, the city will develop its own high-quality, themed minsu (Chinese-style bed-and-breakfast establishment) that integrates ecotourism with ethnic group cultural experiences.