Hunan residents received an unexpected windfall recently when the local tourism office showered them with 1 million yuan's worth of vouchers, offering cut-price hotel rooms and free admission to many of the province's most popular visitor attractions.

The move comes as part of the province's bid to stimulate "local tourism" and persuade residents to explore more of the attractions that are available on their own doorsteps.

Yang Guangrong, head of the provincial tourist administration office, said:" The purpose of distributing the tourism vouchers was to attract potential tourists and spur the local Hunan tourism markets. The move was simple yet effective. It increases a consumers inclination to travel and delivers cost-effective results in a very short period of time."