00:00From the majestic Wudang mountain range to the man-made mastery of Wuhan,
00:06Hubei province is a destination which looks to blend the natural world with the modern.
00:12And it's capturing the attention of holidaymakers, with the number of visitors up 12% last year.
00:18Now, representatives from Hubei have been in Berlin to showcase the region's cultural offerings to the German tourism market.
00:27For tourists, you can not only experience the traditional Chinese culture,
00:32you know, like the, no matter the Wudang martial arts, or the real profound series of the culture of the true states,
00:40visit the museum, experience the real relics from 2,000, 3,000 years ago.
00:45In addition to that, you can also experience the modern city, like Wuhan.
00:52Hubei is also home to the Yangtze River Valley,
00:55and that provides the setting for some of the world's most spectacular river cruises,
00:59meandering through the mountains and leading to the Three Gorges Dam,
01:03the world's largest hydroelectric project.
01:06It not only keeps tens of millions of people safe from potential floods,
01:11but also generates a colossal 100 terawatt hours of electricity every year for the energy grid.
01:17That's about one third of the UK's, or close to half of Spain's total annual energy consumption.
01:23China's quest to attract more tourists was given a boost
01:26as the country got rid of the need for a visa last year for most Europeans.
01:31This now means that citizens of 38 nations, including Germany,
01:36can stay in China for up to 30 days without needing a visa.
01:40Visa-free policy is a great news for our tourism industry.
01:44There's a huge increase in the number of European tourists.
01:49In 2024, just under 8.2 million foreigners visited,
01:53with just over 4.8 million of them benefiting from the visa waiver.
01:58The German tour company represented at the event in Berlin
02:02say scrapping visas has made a big difference.
02:09I would say it's definitely more attractive if I don't have to think about the visa problem.
02:14I have been to China twice myself and had to apply for a visa,
02:17and it was a bit complicated and a bit off-putting.
02:21And now that that has been eliminated, the numbers are definitely going up.
02:25As for Berliners, it's always difficult to decide where to go.
02:28There are so many options. Berlin is very well connected to the whole world.
02:32But China is definitely a market that, in my opinion, has higher numbers every year.
02:38It is growing.
02:40So, whether you're looking for the serene splendor of the mountains or bustling modernity,
02:46Hubei province may well be the travel destination for your next holiday.
02:51Peter Oliver, CGTN, Berlin.
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