People in Lanzhou, Gansu province, release balloons to welcome the new year. [Photo/China Daily]

During the 2026 New Year holiday, Gansu province's tourism market experienced robust growth. Tourist bookings on New Year's Day surged 74 percent year-on-year, placing the province among the nation's top performers and underscoring the strong appeal of its Silk Road cultural heritage.

This travel boom was driven primarily by young tourists, with the post-00s generation accounting for 39 percent of visitors. Embracing a "treat yourself, please yourself" travel philosophy, they actively sought immersive cultural experiences. Gansu's rich historical resources perfectly matched this demand, as visitors moved beyond simple check-ins to engage deeply with world-class sites like Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Mountain, and Crescent Spring scenic spot.

The province's top five most popular scenic spots during the holiday were: Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot, Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, the Mogao Grottoes, Jiayuguan Pass, and Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia National Park. In the provincial capital of Lanzhou, the most visited sites were Shuimo Danxia National Park, Gansu Provincial Museum, Lanzhou Old Street, Yellow River Tower, and Yellow River Iron Bridge.

A clear shift in consumption patterns is underway, from "I've been there" to "I've understood it". Through initiatives like the "Digital Dunhuang" project launched by the Dunhuang Academy and the convenient "West China Loop Train Tour" network, Gansu has successfully built an immersive cultural experience system. Meanwhile, inbound tourism also showed positive momentum, with ticket bookings by international visitors surging 110 percent during the holiday period. Cultural landmarks like Mogao Grottoes and Jiayuguan Pass continue to attract cultural explorers from Southeast Asia, East Asia, and beyond.