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Wuhan Releases Promotional Video To Boost Tourism After Pandemic

Wuhan Releases Promotional Video To Boost Tourism After Pandemic

The new video, titled ‘Let’s meet in Wuhan’, serves as a promotional clip for the capital of Hubei Province

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Wuhan has released a new promotional video in a bid to boost the city's tourism sector - which, like many places across the globe, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

After being recognised as the epicentre of the virus earlier this year, the city has slowly started to recover, reopening itself to locals and visitors alike.

The new video, titled 'Let's meet in Wuhan', serves as a promotional clip for the capital of Hubei Province - which is home to around 11 million people.

It features shots of its various tourist attractions and happy, smiling residents, set against the backdrop of buzzing neighbourhoods and towering skyscrapers.

Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau

The clip was shared on social media platforms by the Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau on Friday, with hopes that it will help attract people from across China and further afield to visit the Chinese provincial capital.

"Wuhan is never stingy in presenting its beauty, and we, who love it, hope more people can understand," the city's tourism authority wrote on Weibo.

"[We] look forward to meeting you in Wuhan."

Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau

Many people have already been visiting Wuhan as part of the rise of what's known as 'dark tourism', with The Telegraph reporting in June that the city would become a 'popular dark tourism destination'.

Dark tourism refers to destinations associated with death and atrocity, which can range from the Chernobyl exclusion zone to First World War memorial sites.

Niu Chen, from Beijing, told Vice she visited Wuhan in September because she wanted to witness the impact of the virus for herself.

"I wanted to know more about what was going on and to see it firsthand," she said.

"To get a sense of how things were and how people are living their lives now, as well as to look back on what happened."

Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau

Dominic, who lives in Arizona, United States, also told the outlet that he hopes to visit when it is safe to travel.

He said: "I'd already been planning to go to China this year before everything went down.

"Now, I'd like to pay a trip to Wuhan in particular, once I can reschedule.

"I feel like the media shows a glimpse of what happened, but I'd like to see it for myself."

Explaining how he sees dark tourism as a means of learning about contemporary history, he continued: "I think educating yourself and immersing in the context, as I plan on doing when I visit China, is a good thing.

"I've visited places like the Museum of Death [a museum with locations in New Orleans and LA] and it's helped me to better connect with its history."

Featured Image Credit: Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau

Topics: World News, News, travel, tourism