HANGZHOU, China, July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From July 20 to 24, a familiarization tour organized by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism brought 12 leading travel buyers and influential travel content creators from Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia deep into the heart of the province. The five-day journey took the group through Ningbo, Jinhua, Lishui and Hangzhou, unveiling a Zhejiang that moves effortlessly between Zen spirituality, cinematic fantasy, digital wonder and timeless landscapes.

Designed to showcase the province's most compelling offerings, the itinerary stitched together Buddhist heritage at the Maitreya Altar in Ningbo, the bustling energy of the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center, the immersive film sets of Hengdian World Studios, and the otherworldly beauty of Xiandu Scenic Area in Lishui. In Hangzhou, the group wandered through the AI-powered Wensan Road Digital Life Block, tasted Dragon Well tea straight from the terraces of Meijiawu, and ended the tour with Impression West Lake: The Most Memorable Is Hangzhou, a spectacle of light, water and music staged on the lake itself. Along the way, they dressed in period costumes for on-location photo shoots, sampled local night-market fare and engaged with immersive digital experiences that weave physical places together with digital storytelling.

Travel professionals on the trip praised the route's blend of natural scenery, cultural heritage and innovative technology, calling it a strong match for Southeast Asian travelers' tastes. The next step, they said, is joint development of premium inbound itineraries tailored specifically to Southeast Asian markets — a move aimed at extending the reach of "Picturesque Zhejiang," attracting more visitors from Southeast Asia and creating a new generation of culturally rich, globally competitive travel experiences.