Hechi launches self-driving tour promotion

A self-driving tour promotion event to help the cultural tourism industry recover from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic was held in Pearl Cave Scenic Spot in Jinchengjiang district, Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 8.

Local actors staged colorful performances, such as folk singing and dancing, at the launching ceremony. A self-driving car fleet consisting of 20 cars and a total of about 60 people was organized on site to have a wonderful trip around the whole city.

Local actors from Hechi perform in ethnic traditional clothing at the launching ceremony of Hechi's self-driving tour promotion event. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

The fleet will depart from Pearl Cave Scenic Spot to various scenic areas and villages of Hechi to experience the city's folk customs, taste flavorful snacks, and enjoy the most beautiful karst landscapes. Agricultural product exhibition and sales activities will be held on the self-driving tour routes to help bolster local agricultural products sales, as well as promote consumption and poverty alleviation.

"Focusing on tourism, the event will promote the benign interaction of all factors and industry chains, such as food, housing, transportation, shopping, and entertainment, effectively helping the recovery and prosperity of Hechi's cultural tourism market," said Wang Di, director of the Hechi culture, radio, television, sports and tourism bureau.

Wang also stressed that the city will organize counties and districts to carry out tourism promotions, commodity exhibitions, tourism investment promotions, and other themed activities with tourism associations, travel agencies, auto clubs, as well as related departments by combining the characteristics of festivals and seasonal tourism products in various places.

A set of tourism preferential policies, themed activities, cross-border cooperation, and smart travel experiences were launched to encourage people to take part in the self-driving tours to stimulate cultural tourism consumption and activate the cultural tourism market.

In addition, the Hechi tourism department has launched five self-driving tour routes through new media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and short video apps.