Wendy Wu Tours’ inaugural China mega famil transported more than 100 travel advisors to explore the lesser-known Changsha and Hunan provinces on an epic six-day trip of city highlights and rural sights, escorted by none other than Wendy Wu herself.
Agents from Australia, New Zealand and the UK enjoyed the curated itinerary with a focus on Zhangjiajie National Park in Hunan province for a taste of Chinese culture and sightseeing beyond the tourist trail.
Company Founder Wendy Wu personally escorted the China megafam with Australian Head of Sales Belinda Ward and Head of Product Sonia Orrego.
China megafam highlights
Ward said agents’ favourite moments included a cross-country bullet train journey and a night-time tour of China’s biggest inland island, the long and narrow Orange Island Park, which is located in the Xiangjiang River and known for centuries for its delicious oranges.
At Zhangjiajie National Park, home to the famous ‘Avatar Mountain’ (thanks to the Hollywood blockbuster) aka Tianmen Mountain and the world’s tallest outdoor ‘Bailong’ elevator, advisors enjoyed the cliff-hanging walkway, zip-lining and 430m-long glass skywalk plus the world’s longest cable car ride, making it one of the best mountains to visit in China.
On top of the 1,518m mountain, views included ‘Heaven’s Door’, vertical cliffs and the 99 Bends.
The itinerary also featured a cruise on Baofeng Lake in Hunan’s Wulingyuan Scenic Area where advisors learnt about the local Tujia ethnic minority and their traditional customs and performances.
In Zhangjiajie city, the group visited a new cultural landmark, the almost 110m-high 72 Strange Buildings Scenic Area, which is the world’s tallest Tujia stilted building where agents tried the region’s most popular local delicacy – giant salamander – a culinary highlight.
Wu thrilled agents by unexpectedly stepping into a tour manager role at different parts of the famil, sharing her thoughts and perspectives as part of the experience.
China is ready for travellers
Ward said the overall famil objective was to reignite awareness and inspire travel to China.
“Our message was clear – [China is] back and better than ever. China is a fascinating place and we made sure everyone had a wide variety of experiences to ensure their product knowledge is on point for clients considering this destination for their next trip,” she said.
For more info, head to wendywutours.com.au/china
