Chongqing — Passenger traffic at the immigration checkpoint of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has recorded the fastest growth among the country’s top 10 airports. Meanwhile, the Chongqing Immigration Inspection General Station has inspected more than 716,000 entries and exits by foreign nationals this year, up 86.1% from a year earlier.

As “China Travel” gains popularity and Chongqing continues to attract attention on overseas social media, more international visitors are crossing mountains and seas to explore the city.

The growing influx presents Chongqing with a new challenge: How can the city turn global attention into a deeper, more lasting appeal?

Chongqing recently issued a three-year action plan to enhance its international service environment, focusing on improving services related to dining, accommodation and entertainment, while also covering transportation, tourism, shopping and other aspects of daily life.

The move followed the State Council’s approval of a plan to build China into a tourism-strong nation during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The plan calls for higher-quality tourism products and services, as well as deeper international exchanges and cooperation. It also identifies Chongqing as one of the key cities for developing inbound tourism.

Foreign tourists mimic the popular "eating the monorail" pose for photos at the Liziba viewing platform in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, on Aug. 10. (Photo/Huang Wei)

The monorail passing through a residential building, the city’s dramatic terrain, and Hongyadong’s illuminated nightscape have become global symbols of Chongqing. Short-video platforms have turned these sights into powerful magnets for overseas travelers.

But a city that inspires repeat visits needs more than viral landmarks.

Chongqing has an extensive portfolio of natural and cultural attractions, from the Three Gorges and Dazu Rock Carvings to the Wujiang River and its distinctive karst landscapes. Many remain less familiar to international audiences.

Some destinations still have limited visibility overseas, while international marketing, integrated travel routes, transportation, and accommodation require further development.

The priority is to connect individual attractions into compelling tourism products and make more of Chongqing’s natural and cultural heritage accessible to international travelers.

Visitors flock to the Shibati Scenic Area in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, on May 1. (Photo/Zhong Zhibing)

Scenery may attract visitors, but culture and everyday life can make a trip memorable.

The action plan calls for more immersive, interactive, nighttime, and experiential tourism products. Chongqing can draw on its identity as a national historical and cultural city, with a heritage shaped by the BaYu region, the Three Gorges, wartime history, revolutionary history and generations of migration.

That heritage can be experienced through the city’s streets, food and traditions, not only through museums and landmarks.

Hot pot is already a global symbol of Chongqing, but it represents only part of the city’s culinary culture. The “360 Bowls of Chongqing Flavors” brand can help introduce specialties such as Wanzhou grilled fish, Qianjiang chicken giblets and Bishan rabbit to international visitors.

Teahouses, traditional crafts and local food experiences can likewise offer travelers a glimpse of everyday Chongqing — a side of the city that cannot be captured in a viral video.

Foreign tourists visit the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Dazu District, Chongqing, on Aug. 11. (Photo/Huang Wei)

The action plan also addresses practical barriers. Chongqing plans to publish multilingual service guides for international visitors, improve foreign-language signs and strengthen services covering transportation, entry-exit procedures, dining and international medical care.

But policies can only set the stage. People deliver the welcome.

Tourism workers need stronger foreign-language and cross-cultural service skills, while residents can contribute through small interactions that shape a visitor’s impression—a taxi driver saying “Welcome to Chongqing,” a restaurant worker helping with a menu, or a passerby giving directions.

As international interest grows, Chongqing’s goal should be more than becoming a place people want to see once.

The city needs to turn its global visibility into lasting connections by showing visitors not only its spectacular skyline, but also its landscapes, heritage, food, and everyday life.

That is how a viral destination can grow into a truly international tourism hub.