All published updates

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Holds 2026 China Roadshow in Beijing

On September 18, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau held a roadshow in Beijing, led by Deputy Director Chinthaka, with nearly 20 island-based destination management companies, hotel groups, and ground operators conducting one-on-one business meetings with over 100 outbound travel agencies from Beijing. Sri Lanka Tourism sees two major potentials in the Beijing market: corporate MICE tourism and high-end customized and parent-child study tours. In 2025, Chinese visitors to Sri Lanka exceeded 132,000; in the first eight months of 2026, cumulative Chinese visitors exceeded 100,000, making China Sri Lanka's third-largest overseas source market. Direct flights to Sri Lanka are available from…

CATA Air Logistics Forum Focuses on AI-Driven High-Quality Development

On September 18, the 3rd Air Logistics Development Forum, a core event of the 4th CATA Aviation Conference, was held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing under the theme 'AI-Driven High-Quality Development of Air Logistics.' The forum brought together industry regulators, airlines, airports, research institutes and technology companies to discuss AI applications and trends in air logistics. Wang Man, Assistant to the CATA Chairman, proposed balancing safety and intelligence, collaborative chain upgrading, and open global expansion. Wang Weijun, Deputy Director-General of the CAAC Transport Department, said the regulator will continue advancing cost reduction and quality improv…

CATA Aviation Service Sub-Forum Focuses on AI-Enabled Passenger Travel

On the afternoon of September 18, the Aviation Service Sub-Forum of the 4th CATA Aviation Conference was held at the China National Convention Center Phase II in Beijing under the theme 'Smart Future, Better Travel — AI Empowering New Warmth in Civil Aviation Services,' with over 200 industry representatives attending. The forum released the group standard 'Civil Aviation Information System Development and Delivery Grading Part 1: Technical Requirements,' establishing lifecycle grading specifications for the first time. CATA Secretary-General Pan Yixin noted challenges in enterprise intelligent transformation including input-output balance, business fit, uneven talent resources and duplicat…

4th CATA Aviation Conference Focuses on AI Integration in Civil Aviation

The 4th China Air Transport Association (CATA) Aviation Conference, themed 'AI and Civil Aviation Integrated Development', was held in Beijing from 17 to 19 September, showcasing AI integration achievements. China Southern's aviation fuel cloud platform breaks data barriers among airlines, airports, fuel suppliers and financial institutions, covering 41 fuel nodes and connecting over 530 airports at home and abroad, helping China Southern save more than 230,000 tonnes of fuel in 2025. Hainan Airlines' big-data fault prediction platform has built over 1,600 prediction models and captured more than 200 potential fault risks. Air China Group's wheel maintenance line has been approved for opera…

China Inbound Tourism Heats Up as Arab Markets Emerge as Growth Driver

The 2026 Arabian Travel Market ran September 14-17 at Dubai World Trade Centre, with China's delegation exhibiting for a third consecutive year under the "Nihao! China" theme and one of the largest booths among Asian countries. China National Immigration Administration data show inbound foreign arrivals rose 20.4% year on year in the first half, while travel services exports grew 31.1%. In full-year 2025, more than 150,000 Gulf Cooperation Council nationals entered China, up 100.78%, with Saudi and UAE nationals up 110% and 113% respectively. The China Cultural Center in the UAE has organized over 60 Chinese tourism companies for matchmaking with regional firms.

4th CATA Aviation Conference Held in Beijing, Focusing on AI Integration in Civil Aviation

From September 17 to 19, the 4th CATA Aviation Conference was held at the China National Convention Center Phase II in Beijing, with over 230 organizations and representatives from nearly 20 countries and regions participating under the theme 'AI Integration in Civil Aviation.' Air China and Turkish Airlines discussed expanding codeshare cooperation, while TravelSky, Shanghai Airport, and the digital units of China Southern, China Eastern and Sichuan Airlines pursued cooperation on technology innovation and business collaboration. Leaders from ICAO, IATA, AAPA and AACO, as well as civil aviation authorities including CAAC, UAE GCAA, US FAA, Singapore CAAS and Cambodia SSCA, attended. A conc…

CATA Aviation Conference cabin safety and service showcase held in Beijing

The fourth China Air Transport Association (CATA) Aviation Conference was held at the China National Convention Center Phase II in Beijing from 17 to 19 September. During the event, cabin safety and service culture showcases ran twice daily, with more than 80 cabin crew representatives from 20 airlines taking part across three segments: professional image, service brand and safety knowledge interaction. The safety segment demonstrated onboard lithium-battery emergency response and cabin-crew coordination standards, while the service segment featured dedicated products for elderly and child passengers and brands built around tea culture, regional culture and multilingual service. An on-site…

Beijing World Park Extends Free Admission to Year-End; Visitor Surge Boosts Secondary Spending

Beijing World Park announced it will extend its free admission policy until December 31, 2026. From July 12 to mid-September, the park received over 1.23 million visitors; first-month visitor numbers increased about 97 times year-on-year, secondary spending revenue rose over 60% compared to before free admission, surrounding mall revenue increased 20% month-on-month, and homestay orders rose 29% and 65% in two consecutive months. During the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays and weekends, reservation-based entry will be implemented; on weekdays, visitors can enter by swiping their ID cards. The park will host events such as the Global Carb Festival, cultural markets, and winter ice-snow s…

September Off-Peak Travel Prices Drop 15%-20%; Seniors Account for Over 70%

In September, tourism product prices generally fell from summer highs, with off-peak travel products down 15% to 20% this year; some routes from Lianyungang, Jiangsu, saw drops of 20-30% or even 50%. Among September travelers, those over 50 accounted for 72.2%, with those over 60 making up 53.3%. Middle-aged and elderly tourists prefer destinations like Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Guizhou; 2-8 person private small groups are favored, and travel agencies are adjusting routes to focus on slow-paced, wellness-oriented products, reducing frequent hotel changes and rushed sightseeing.

Shanxi, Beijing, Hebei and Henan Jointly Promote Taihang Cultural Tourism Brand

On Sept 17, the 2026 Taihang Mountains Cultural Tourism Joint Promotion Season launched at the Bazquanxia scenic area in Huguan County, Changzhi, Shanxi. Cultural tourism departments from Shanxi, Beijing, Hebei and Henan jointly promoted the 'Splendid China, Magnificent Taihang' brand under the principles of resource co-building, brand co-shaping, market sharing and tourist-source connectivity. Six cross-provincial premium routes were released, covering geological wonders, ancestral heritage and ancient architecture, red education, self-driving and outdoor, in-depth study tours, and wellness retreats, breaking down provincial barriers to enable 'one map to tour the greater Taihang.' The eve…

2026 "Me and Ditan" Beijing Book Fair Opens

On 17 September 2026, the 2026 "Me and Ditan" Beijing Book Fair opened at its main venue in Ditan Park. The main venue's exhibition area exceeds 20,000 square metres, bringing together more than 400 publishers, publishing institutions and specialty physical bookstores across more than 500 booths, with both exhibition scale and booth numbers reaching record highs. The fair runs 11 days through 27 September, covering the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and offering visitors an immersive book-and-culture experience.

RUN+ City Running Carnival Test Event Explores New Culture-Commerce-Sports-Tourism Model

On September 12, the first test event of RUN+ City Running Carnival (RUN+Beer) was held at Beijing Chaoyang Park, where 2,000 runners completed a 6km loop and went directly to a beer festival. The event uses a 'light professional run + limited carnival' model; the test event was untimed, and future official races will use chips and operate as full professional events. Runners stayed on the lawn for an average of two hours, with short post-race spending paths and smooth conversion. The model does not rely on heavy assets and can be held in parks, riversides, or neighborhoods, with beer, coffee, bread, and city cultural products flexibly integrated; future themes will change by city and seaso…

Beijing Daxing District to Develop Rural Cultural Tourism and Other Formats

On September 15, the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Government held a press conference on Daxing District as part of the 'Capital's Start of the 15th Five-Year Plan' series. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Daxing will develop high-end seedlings, flower planting, pet economy, farming experiences, and rural cultural tourism, adhering to a 'one town, one policy; one town, one product' approach to build distinctive small towns. This year, Daxing launched watermelon festivals and grape seasons, attracting over 2 million visitors and generating 120 million yuan in district-wide revenue. It also aims to build an immersive animal hotel under the goal of 'Daxing in the n…

6th Civil Aviation Education, Training and Talent Development Forum Held in Beijing

On the afternoon of September 18, the 6th Civil Aviation Education, Training and Talent Development Forum, part of the 4th CATA Aviation Conference, was held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing under the theme "Digital Intelligence, Integration, New Quality: AI Empowering Integrated Development of Civil Aviation Education, Science and Talent." CATA Vice Chairman Zhu Yaochun and Zhejiang Economic Vocational and Technical College President Ke Konglin delivered remarks, with Lin Zengyue, Deputy Director of the Training and Education Division of CAAC's Personnel, Science and Education Department, attending. Sessions covered AI-driven reconstruction of talent training, lifelong le…

Zhuolu Dialogue Conference Advances Chinese Civilization Research and Cultural Tourism Collaboration

The 2026 "Zhuolu Dialogue" conference on Zhuolu and Chinese civilization origins research was held on September 16-17 in Zhuolu County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, under the theme "Yellow Emperor Culture: A Dialogue Between History and the Times." The event combined keynote speeches, three thematic seminars, site visits and industry matchmaking, covering Zhuolu's archaeological findings, Yellow Emperor culture communication, Beijing-Zhangjiakou coordination and cultural brand building. The industry integration session presented Zhuolu's cultural industry investment directions and key projects, and held a signing ceremony for cultural tourism projects. Participants jointly issued the "Zhuolu Initiat…

CATA Aviation Conference presents 2025 civil aviation science and technology awards

On 17 September, the fourth CATA Aviation Conference opened at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, where the 2025 CATA Civil Aviation Science and Technology Awards were presented. A total of 48 projects won awards — 8 first prizes, 25 second prizes and 15 third prizes — covering key fields including airports, air traffic control, aviation fuel and airline digitalisation. The winning projects showed three features: deep integration of AI, big data and digital twins across the aviation production chain; closer industry-academia-research collaboration with a higher share of enterprise-led projects; and a clear commercialisation orientation, with most projects already delivering ec…

Beijing Issues Plan to Deepen Culture, Commerce, Tourism, Sports and Exhibition Integration

The Beijing Municipal People's Government recently issued the Implementation Plan for Expanding and Upgrading Modern Service Industries in Beijing (2026-2030), which explicitly calls for deepening the integrated development of culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions, and for coordinated development under the framework of "culture leading, commerce transforming, technology empowering, tourism linking, sports driving and exhibitions amplifying." The plan proposes building and operating urban vitality districts such as the Grand Canal waterfront space, the "two parks and one river" waterfront living room, the South Central Axis "future axis" and the Olympic International Reception H…

4th CATA Aviation Conference Opens in Beijing, Focusing on AI-Civil Aviation Integration

On September 17, the 4th CATA Aviation Conference opened in Beijing, running three days under the annual theme "AI and Civil Aviation Integrated Development," marking the first time AI serves as the main thread across the opening ceremony, industry forums and professional exhibition. CAAC Deputy Administrator Han Jun attended and addressed the conference, calling for holding the safety bottom line, focusing on scenario implementation and maintaining open collaboration. CATA Chairman Wang Changshun said the association will deepen industry self-discipline coordination and support technology innovation. The opening ceremony presented the 2025 Civil Aviation Science and Technology Awards, and…

'Grand Theatre in Beijing' 2026 Beijing International Theatre Season Opens October 7

On September 17, the Beijing Municipal People's Government Information Office held a press conference. The theatre season will run from October 7 to year-end, nearly three months, bringing together 120 Chinese and international productions, including 38 international and 82 domestic, spanning more than ten art categories. City-wide supporting theatre activities will reach 500, with discounted ticketing offered via platforms including Damai, Maoyan, and Douyin.

Beijing Adds Six Red Tourism Scenic Sites

On September 17, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism announced six newly designated red tourism scenic sites. Under the Beijing Red Tourism Scenic Site Assessment and Management Measures, following district recommendations, site inspections, and review meetings, the six sites approved for 2026 include the former site of Radio Station 491 in Chaoyang District, the Zhongguancun Village History Museum in Haidian District, the Beiping Takeover Cadre Training Class (Liangxiang Confucian Temple) in Fangshan District, the Shaotang Literature Museum in Tongzhou District, the Century Newspaper Reading Hall in Pinggu District, and the Xinhua Printing Factory in the Economic-Technologi…

240-hour transit visa-free countries rise to 57

Pinchain Tourism reports that the 2026 World Tourism Cooperation and Development Conference was held at the Shougang International Convention and Exhibition Center in Beijing, where the World Tourism City Development Report (2025-2026) was released. Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong ranked in the top ten of the global tourism city ranking, with Beijing fifth, up two places from last year. The report assesses 100 tourism cities across six dimensions: city visibility, industry prosperity, city intelligence, tourism safety, economic contribution and visitor satisfaction. National Immigration Administration data released in July showed 22.914 million inbound foreign visits in the first half of 20…

2027 Palace Museum Calendar Released in Four Editions

On September 16, the launch event for the 2027 Palace Museum Calendar was held at the Palace Museum, attended by Wang Xudong, Party Leadership Group Member of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Director of the Palace Museum, Zhang Yongxin, Party Secretary of the Palace Museum, and Wu Shulin, Chairman of the Publishers Association of China. The Palace Museum Calendar has been published for 18 consecutive years, with cumulative distribution exceeding 10 million copies. The 2027 edition offers four versions: the zodiac edition, the painting and calligraphy edition, the auspicious edition, and the Chinese-English bilingual edition. The zodiac edition features artifacts related to sheep and…

Beijing Launches Over 2,000 Culture and Tourism Events for Mid-Autumn and National Day

On September 16, the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau held a press conference on 2026 Mid-Autumn and National Day culture and tourism activities. During the holiday, the bureau will launch over 2,000 themed events under the slogan Celebrating Both Festivals, Touring Beijing, selecting 60 branded activities across five categories—culture and arts, park visits and autumn foliage, food markets, guochao intangible heritage, and competitive sports—and releasing a must-visit recommendation list. Several platform companies will offer promotions: Baidu Maps will list the recommended spots before the holiday with AI recommendations and one-click navigation; Didi will launch travel vouche…

Beijing Cracks Down on Illegal "Imperial City Tour" Overcharging

Ahead of the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, the Fourth Detachment of the Beijing Transportation Comprehensive Law Enforcement Corps has deepened its joint enforcement mechanism with local police to crack down on illegal "Imperial City Tour" overcharging. On September 11, a taxi driver took two passengers on a detour around Tiananmen Square and demanded a flat fare of 120 yuan, and was administratively penalized for failing to use the meter as required. Authorities advise visitors who encounter fare negotiation, refusal to carry, failure to use the meter, or detour overcharging to call the 12328 transportation service supervision hotline.

Impact and considerations

Ahead of the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, Beijing is tightening enforcement in the core area around popular sites such as Tiananmen and the Forbidden City, targeting illegal taxi solicitation and overcharging. Business and leisure travelers in the capital's core area should be aware of common illegal operatin…

Qunar: National Day Flight and Hotel Bookings Up 56% Week-on-Week

On September 16, train tickets for the day before National Day (September 30) went on sale, driving flight and hotel bookings into a peak period. Qunar data shows that as of September 16, searches for keywords such as 'Mid-Autumn' and 'National Day' rose 167% month-on-month, National Day flight and hotel bookings rose 56% week-on-week, and bookings on popular routes over 2,000 km doubled year-on-year. Beijing, Qingdao, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guiyang, and Guangzhou ranked in the top 10 popular National Day cities. Concerts and sports events boosted nearby hotel bookings, while county-level and outbound travel also grew.