Hu Min
Travel operators from Shanghai and Lu'an, Anhui Province, sealed new tourism deals at a business matchmaking event held in Shanghai on July 3, strengthening cross-regional tourist exchange for the summer travel peak.
At the event, five themed summer travel routes of Lu'an were unveiled for peak season travel.
The summer cooling tour features Tiantangzhai, Yanzi River Grand Canyon, Baimajian Peak and Wanfo Lake for mountain and lake summer getaways.
A youth adventure package offers camping, rafting, aerial experiences and canyoning for young social travelers, while the mountain leisure itineraries target slow vacation seekers based on Lu'an's boutique homestay cluster.
A health and leisure route combines hot spring, intangible cultural heritage and fruit picking for elderly tourists.
The 2026 Shanghai-Lu'an travel agents cooperation fair was one of three targeted exchange sessions Lu'an tourism authorities held in Shanghai this summer. The event focused on market-oriented cooperation, reciprocal tourist flows and joint sales. Representatives from major travel agencies, scenic spots and cultural tourism enterprises of both cities took part in product launches, experience sharing, contract signing and business talks.
The face-to-face exchanges turned Lu'an's natural and cultural strengths into market growth, injecting momentum into the regional summer tourism sector.
Three leading local travel agencies from Lu'an released cooperation plans. They laid out group tour schedules, co-marketing campaigns, tourist incentive policies and on-site service standards for Shanghai distributors.
Lu'an has long been a top short-haul destination for Yangtze River Delta visitors.
It has rolled out a tourism product framework covering all regions, seasons, age groups and service scenarios. The packages integrate ecological scenery, revolutionary sites, traditional culture and rural tourism.
Several strategic partnerships were formalized during the signing ceremony, focusing on two-way tourist delivery, customized route development and joint brand promotion to build long-term ties.
Buyers and suppliers discussed route design, service criteria and joint marketing, reaching multiple preliminary cooperation intentions and establishing regular communication channels.
Lu'an boasts picturesque scenery in all seasons.
In spring, the Wangchun Valley is enveloped with azaleas like a sea, brilliant and colorful. In summer, rafting experiences will bring cool and refreshing summer relief. The Jianghuai Fruit Ridge shines in golden autumn, while in winter, mountain skiing, and hot springs can be enjoyed.
In autumn, a hike in Jinzhai County in the Dabie Mountains which boasts the Tiantangzhai Scenic Area, a 5A national tourist attraction, and a national forest park, the main area of Dabieshan National Geopark, is recommended. With a forest coverage of over 96 percent, Jinzhai is known as "the last virgin forest in East China."
