In the early hours of January 1, 2026, a group of tourists from Malaysia arrived at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, becoming the first inbound tour group to visit Chengdu in 2026. They received a New Year's surprise gift from Chengdu's cultural and tourism authorities—a cute panda-themed cultural and creative plush toy.

Liang Chengyong, a Malaysian student at Chengdu University, served as a volunteer greeter and warmly welcomed the visitors. That day also happened to be the 76th birthday of tourist Liu Yuanjin, for whom the group specially presented a birthday cake. "I'm thrilled and extremely happy—Chengdu is so heartwarming," Liu said. He recalled having visited Chengdu many years ago and noted that he immediately sensed the city's dramatic transformation upon landing this time, expressing great anticipation for the rest of his itinerary.

The group will embark on an eight-day, seven-night journey across Sichuan Province, visiting iconic cultural and tourism landmarks including the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the Dujiangyan-Qingcheng Mountain Scenic Area, Xiling Snow Mountain, the Leshan Giant Buddha, Huanglongxi Ancient Town, Wuhou Temple, Jinli, Taikoo Li, Kuanzhai Alley, and Dongjiao Memory. Among these, Xiling Snow Mountain is a highlight of the itinerary. Tourist Liu Ailin said she hopes to celebrate the New Year with her family on the snowy mountain and experience winter romance. During the New Year holiday, Xiling Snow Mountain will launch glow-in-the-dark snowball fights, NPC parades, and an ice-and-snow-themed light show in collaboration with the Tianfu Twin Towers, creating an immersive winter experience.

Other highly anticipated activities include an on-site visit to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System and watching Sichuan opera face-changing performances in Kuanzhai Alley. These developments reflect the continued rise of inbound tourism to Chengdu. The city expects to receive approximately 322 million visitors in 2025, generating total tourism revenue of RMB 430 billion, including around 2 million inbound tourists. To enhance the visitor experience, Chengdu has introduced 12 premium itineraries under the themes 'Enter Chengdu, Exit Chongqing' and 'Enter Chongqing, Exit Chengdu,' established 205 inbound tourism information desks, enabled 67,000 merchants to accept foreign bank cards, designated 603 duty-free refund stores, allowed foreign tourists to use overseas bank cards for public transportation, and strengthened its team of multilingual tour guides.

With the arrival of this first inbound tour group, Chengdu officially kicked off its inbound tourism peak season for the New Year and Spring Festival holidays. More convenient services and richer experiences continue to open the doors of 'Splendid Tianfu, Leisurely Sichuan' to travelers worldwide.

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