Suzhou believes its appeal can bring in more domestic tourists

Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province is known as the equivalent of Venice in Italy due to its canals and rich culture.

With a history of more than 2,500 years, the 3,200-kilometer-long Grand Canal connecting Beijing and Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province, is the longest artificial waterway in the world.

In January, Suzhou authorities announced an ambitious project to integrate the 10 scenic spots along the section of the canal in Suzhou into the Grand Canal National Cultural Park under construction in the city. It's an echo to the country's call of building a Grand Canal Cultural Belt.

At night, tourists can hop on a cruise along the canal, sipping a cup of green tea and sampling elegant local specialties, against a backdrop of ancient architecture and bridges.

A young woman in a qipao performs pingtan, a traditional musical and oral performing art form popular in Suzhou, while playing a stringed instrument.

For the past seven years, the Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism has been working hard to promote Suzhou as a destination for travelers from North America and Europe.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the bureau has adjusted its marketing strategies from mainly targeting the overseas market to organizing offline events to attract expats living in China.

Its four official accounts on popular social networking platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube have attracted an extra of 160,000 fans over the past two years, exceeding 1 million in total.

They aim to provide potential inbound travelers with firsthand and in-depth travel experience of Suzhou via photos, short videos and livestreams.

"Our official accounts on the four social platforms ensure we present the beauty of Suzhou toward a wide range of potential inbound travelers," says Wang Rudong, an official from the bureau. "Content is paramount. We've made different online promotional themes for each month, season and some important traditional Chinese festivals." The bureau recently celebrated the completion of a two-year online marketing campaign in North America and Europe.

Wang notices that after the outbreak of COVID-19 travelers are more willing to encounter nature and staycations have become popular in China. Smaller group tours of no more than 10 people are more popular, and tourists stay longer when on in-depth trip.

"Suzhou is a perfect choice for such a getaway, especially for nearby cities such as Shanghai, where many expats have already settled down. We only have to deliver a message to them about Suzhou's various travel experience," he says.

The city has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites－nine Suzhou gardens and 11 sites of the Grand Canal, together with rich intangible Cultural heritage, such as embroidery. Wang believes that's a big draw because expats are fond of Suzhou's unique culture.

Indeed, the city has developed new cultural programs for tourists in recent years.

At night, tourists can visit the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Master-of-Nets Garden, to enjoy classic arias of pingtan and Kunqu Opera, which are only performed at that time. Beautiful images are projected onto the architecture with colorful lighting, to create the artistic atmosphere.

In the newly opened Suzhou Museum West, visitors not only can enjoy various cultural treasures from Suzhou, but also 267 pieces of cultural relics such as sculptures, from the British Museum in the exhibition Rome: City and Empire.

The bureau has cooperated with domestic travel agencies to create customized tour products for expats, in various themes such as culture, art and outdoor activities. The bureau has also produced a series of short videos about travel stories of media and influencers and about expats living in Suzhou to share their experience of how to live like a local.

"Many expats are familiar with how to travel in China, and they like to be independent visitors," Wang says. "They have the spirit to explore. For us, the challenge is to design an appealing itinerary, such as hiking routes that connect cultural sites in Suzhou, to attract them."

Wang adds that one of Suzhou's advantages is its developed export-oriented economy. When expats come to the city for business trips and are satisfied with the experience, they are likely to recommend Suzhou to others.