Holiday delights of China's Hubei province on show in Berlin

With spring starting to spring into action across Europe, the thoughts of many are turning to summer holidays and where to go. China's Hubei province has been pitching for some of that business at an event in Berlin.

From the majestic Wudang mountain range to the man-made mastery of the Wuhan, Hubei province is a destination that blends the natural world with the modern and it's capturing the attention of holidaymakers, with visitor numbers up 12 percent last year.

Zhu Hongjun, deputy general manager Hubei CTS, told CGTN: "For a tourist, you can experience the traditional Chinese culture, like the Wudan martial arts or the real profound culture of the Chu states, or visit the museums and experience the real relics from 3,000 years ago. You can also experience a modern city like Wuhan."

Hubei is also home to the Yangtze River Valley that provides the setting for some of the world's most spectacular river cruises meandering through the mountains and leading to the Three Gorges Dam - the world's largest hydro-electric project. 

It not only keeps tens of millions of people safe from potential floods, but also generates a colossal 100 terrawatt hours of electricity every year for the energy grid. That is about one third of the UK's or nearly half of Spain's total annual energy consumption.

Your next holiday destination?

China's quest to attract more tourists was given a boost as the country got rid of the need for a visa last year for most Europeans.

This now means that citizens of 38 nations, including Germany, can stay in China for up to 30 days without needing a visa.

"Visa-free policy is a great news for our tourism industry. There is a huge increase in the  number of European tourists," said Zhou Yongbiao, deputy general manager of Hubei Culture Tourism Group.

In 2024 nearly 8.2 million foreigners visited with just over 4.8 million of them benefitting from the visa waiver.

Felix Luca Thelenz, manager of German travel company Accept Reisen, told CGTN that scrapping visas has made a big difference.

"It is definitely more attractive if I don't have to think about the visa problem," he said. "I have been to China twice and had to apply for a visa and it was a bit complicated and a bit off-putting. 

"Now that that has been eliminated, the numbers have definitely gone up. For Berliners it is always difficult to decide where to go. There are so many options. Berlin is very well connected to the whole world and China is definitely a market that, in my opinion, has higher numbers every year. It is growing."

Whether you are looking for the serene splendor of the mountains, or bustling modernity, Hubei province may well be the travel destination for your next holiday.