Oct. 13–15, 2026 — Sichuan Province made a striking debut at IMEX America, North America's largest professional meetings and incentive travel exhibition, held at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Under the theme "Splendid Sichuan: Land of Abundance aligned with the theme Faces·Designed for Wonder," the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism presented the province's rich cultural and tourism resources to North American industry professionals, strategically expanding its presence in the U.S. inbound tourism market and fostering connections between Sichuan's travel products and North American distribution channels.
Design-Driven Experience: A Multidimensional Showcase of Bashu's Allure
With this year's IMEX America centered on the theme "Design Matters"-emphasizing how experiential design builds destination differentiation-Sichuan's booth embraced the "Faces" concept to create an immersive cultural and tourism exhibition space. Integrating iconic visual elements of Huanglong, the Leshan Giant Buddha, Sanxingdui, giant pandas, and Sichuan Opera face-changing into its display design, the booth featured a curated selection of Sichuan's intangible cultural heritage and creative products, a continuous screening of the English promotional video Sichuan: More Than Just Pandas, and bilingual marketing materials-offering a comprehensive portrait of Sichuan's landscapes, ancient Shu civilization, and vibrant local life.
An interactive QR code promotion inviting visitors to follow Sichuan's overseas social media accounts in exchange for gifts drew numerous North American industry professionals, who paused to experience firsthand the distinctive charm of Bashu culture.
Special Themed Presentation: Sichuan and Chongqing Jointly Promote the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor
During the exhibition, Sichuan hosted a dedicated cultural tourism presentation session. Held on October 14, the session featured the Splendid Sichuan: Land of Abundance presentation, aligned with the theme "Faces · Designed for Wonder," showcasing diverse resources and multifaceted travel experiences tailored to different types of travelers-vividly illustrating Sichuan's appeal as a rich, multi-dimensional destination.
In a collaborative effort with Chongqing, Sichuan also promoted premium itineraries along the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor to North American industry partners, fully leveraging the synergistic advantages of Sichuan-Chongqing cultural tourism development.
Leveraging the Trade Show Platform: Addressing Diverse Traveler Segments
Building on the professional nature of the exhibition, Sichuan conducted targeted analysis of U.S. inbound traveler consumption patterns and identified distinct visitor segments:
First-time U.S. visitors show strong preference for world heritage sites such as the giant pandas, Dujiangyan-Mount Qingcheng, and Mount Eme-Leshan Giant Buddha, seeking awe-inspiring scenic experiences.
Returning deep-travel enthusiasts are drawn to Western Sichuan's plateau regions, ancient Shu civilization, and outdoor adventure products, eager to discover Sichuan's diverse landscapes and cultural depth.
Moving forward, Sichuan will use these insights to refine its tourism offerings and develop tiered, differentiated inbound travel itinerary solutions for the North American market.
Deepening North American Inbound Market Presence: Expanding the "Splendid Sichuan" Brand
The United States is a key European and American source market for Sichuan's inbound tourism. In the first half of 2026, the U.S. ranked 6th among overseas source markets for visitor arrivals to Sichuan, with significant growth potential.
This year's exhibition drew international travel operators from the U.S., Colombia, India, Spain, Mexico, and other countries for business discussions. While overseas industry interest in Chinese tourism continues to rise, international operators hope for simplified Chinese visa procedures, with limited awareness of transit visa-free policies. Key areas of focus include itinerary planning and inbound travel logistics.
Currently, there are relatively few suppliers specializing in China travel in mainstream European and American markets, and industry players call for enhanced overseas promotion. Meanwhile, multiple travel operators have expressed interest in cooperation and seek further details on Sichuan's tourism products.
Next steps for Sichuan include continuing to deepen its presence in the North American inbound market through promoting transit visa-free policies, participating in international travel trade shows, and inviting North American travel consultants on familiarization trips to Sichuan -leveraging industry channels to amplify brand reach. The province will also continue optimizing tourism products and supporting services for overseas visitors, further expanding the influence of the "Splendid Sichuan: Land of Abundance" brand in North America and driving growth in international visitor arrivals.
