The 2026 Xinjiang Culture and Tourism Development Conference is scheduled to take place from June 16 to 18 in Hotan city of Hotan prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Organized by the regional government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the event will see participation from the 19 provinces and municipalities involved in paired assistance with Xinjiang, along with representatives from international travel agencies and leading domestic culture and tourism enterprises, according to the region's culture and tourism department. This marks the fifth edition of the conference.
Alongside the main event, an international travel agents conference will be held on June 17 to promote inbound travel, introduce related preferential policies, and facilitate business negotiations and partnerships.
At a news conference in Urumqi on Monday, Gul Ablim, director of the Xinjiang regional culture and tourism department, said the upcoming event would bring together guests from 24 countries across five continents, highlighting international cooperation and seeking to attract more international visitors to Xinjiang.
She said a familiarization tour for international travel agents would be organized ahead of the three-day event for foreign participants to experience Xinjiang's diverse landscapes in person. During the conference, the region plans to announce its policies to facilitate inbound tourism and sign cooperation agreements with international tour operators on exchanging tourists, jointly developing tourism products, and expanding markets.
According to Zhang Liying, deputy director of the department, the region issued a series of measures in November to promote inbound and border tourism. These focus on facilitating visa and customs clearance, integrating aviation and tourism development, increasing the supply of quality products, and improving services and international marketing, among other areas.
She said the region has implemented incentive policies for inbound tourism for two consecutive years, awarding 1.3 million yuan ($192,000) to eight tourism enterprises. Meanwhile, it has optimized facilities for international payments and foreign currency exchange at key scenic spots, commercial areas, and tourism venues, and upgraded accommodation registration services for international travelers.
Zhang added that her department has worked with the Xinjiang exit-entry frontier inspection general station to improve inbound and outbound services.
