In 2023, there were more than 2,400 cultural and tourism enterprises in Huaihua, with 149 cultural enterprises and 270 tourism enterprises reaching the designated size, whose operating income was RMB6.54 billion. In line with the strategic plan of developing a world tourism destination of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and People’s Government of Hunan Province, CPC Huaihua Municipal Committee and People’s Government of Huaihua City have identified the cultural and tourism industry as one of the city’s five characteristic industries, with a view to developing Huaihua into a national first-class tourist destination and the fifth “name card” of Hunan culture and tourism. The authorities have issued such policy documents as the Three-year Action Plan for Accelerating the Development of a National First-class Tourism Destination (2023-2025), Three-year Action Plan for Accelerating the Development of the Tourism Triangle in Huaihua (2023-2025), Incentive Measures of Huaihua City for Promoting the High-quality Development of the Ecological, Cultural and Tourism industries, and Opinions of Huaihua City on Supporting the Development of Five-star Tourist Hotels. In 2023, Huaihua received 58,389,000 tourists and realized a total tourism revenue of RMB53.48 billion, up 44.2% and 42.2% year on year. The city is home to 59 tourist attractions rated A level and above, 16 4A-rated tourist attractions, one national demonstration base for the integration of culture and technology, one national nighttime culture and tourism consumption cluster, three key national rural tourism villages, three provincial tourism and leisure blocks, three provincial characteristic cultural tourism towns, three industrial tourism demonstration sites at the provincial level and above, 69 star-rated rural tourism sites, and 149 cultural enterprises above the designated size.
Key enterprises: Huaihua Cultural, Tourism and Sports Development Investment Group, Hunan Xuefengshan Ecological and Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd., Hunan Hongjiang Ancient Commercial City Cultural Tourism Industry Investment Co., Ltd., Huatai Phoenix International Hotel, Tancheng Landscape Culture Tourism Co., Ltd., Tongdao Danxia Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd., and Hunan Wanjuan Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd.
Development priorities:
1. “One core and one hub”: The farming cultural tourism triangle consisting of the Anjiang Agricultural School Hybrid Rice Memorial Park, Hongjiang Ancient Commercial City and Qianyang Ancient Town and the cultural and tourism consumption hub focusing on the integrated development of Hecheng District and Zhongfang County.
2. “Four poles and three routes”: Fostering four tourism growth poles, including the mountain tourism resort in Xuefeng Mountain, Xupu, Chinese historical and cultural heritage display space in Yuanling, Chinese red culture innovation demonstration space in Zhijiang, and Dong folk custom immersive experience space in Tongdao; relying on land and water transportation to develop in three aspects, including promoting the picturesque Yuanjiang River with rich culture, designing the Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua world-class sightseeing tour, and boosting the innovation and development of the cultural and tourism industry along the Shanghai-Kunming High-speed Railway.
3. “Creating synergy”: Developing the Huangyan Tourism Resort in Hecheng, Hushan Hot Spring Tourism Resort in Shiyangshao, Mayang, Longxi Ancient Town in Xinhuang, Su Yu’s hometown in Huitong, Feishan Mountain in Jingzhou and other growth drivers for county tourism; enriching and improving A-rated tourist attractions, characteristic tourist villages, rural complexes, self-driving campsites, scenic roads and other new tourism projects; and forming industrial clusters of different sizes based on growth drivers for county tourism.
Furong Tower Huayao terrace on the back of the mountain
(1) (2) (3)
(1) Anjiang Agricultural School Hybrid Rice Memorial Park (2) Hongjiang Ancient Commercial City (3) Qianyang Ancient Town
（Translated by Professor Yu Jie）