On October 22, 2026, the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism announced the repeal of the “Measures of Heilongjiang Province for Rewarding Travel Agencies for Bringing Tourists into the Province” and clarified the arrangements for subsequent applications and payment: applications for rewards for the second and third quarters of 2026 will continue to be processed through December 31, while applications for and payment of fourth-quarter rewards will no longer be accepted.

Eligible travel agencies must submit applications between October 22 and 30. Travel agencies concerned should distinguish between the application window and the deadline for processing applications and paying rewards: December 31 is the deadline for continuing to process applications and pay rewards for the second and third quarters, while applications must still be submitted within the October 22–30 window. These are not the same deadline.

This arrangement means that, following the repeal of the reward measures, eligible rewards for the second and third quarters remain subject to the application and payment arrangements, while applications for and payment of fourth-quarter rewards will no longer be accepted. Therefore, the quarter to which the relevant business relates is the first issue travel agencies need to clarify when reviewing these rewards.

For fourth-quarter business, if a travel agency previously factored the expected reward into its pricing for relevant itineraries, promotional investment, or revenue estimates, it will need to reassess those calculations. Any adjustments may first affect the travel agency’s own cost and revenue planning. Whether they will further affect travel product prices, group sizes, or promotional efforts will depend on each agency’s reliance on the reward and its actual business arrangements.

The repeal clarifies the termination of this reward and the transitional arrangements, but it does not provide grounds for inferring how tourism demand in Heilongjiang may change, nor should it be interpreted more broadly as an adjustment to all tourism support measures. Going forward, the issues of direct relevance to travel agencies remain the progress of applications and payment for second- and third-quarter rewards, and whether any new related policies are announced.