Tourism drives rural development in Shandong district

Gaozhuang sub-district in Jinan's Laiwu district harnesses the tourism sector to boost local wealth and income. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com,cn]

Gaozhuang sub-district in Jinan's Laiwu district has been actively seeking new development avenues in recent years, capitalizing on the tourism sector's potential to enhance local wealth and income.

The "Valley Garden" in Heiyu village is a prime example of the area's active efforts to explore tourism-driven development of the homestay industry. Spearheaded by the village's Party branch, the project features an aromatic garden area covering over 20 mu (1.33 hectares), 28 tents, and seven homestays. It has drawn over 10,000 visitors, boosting the village's collective income by 100,000 yuan ($13,800).

"We aim to further expand by transforming four old factories into high-end homestays, conference and banquet halls, an aromatic museum, and a comprehensive activity center, creating a retreat that blends adventure with romance," stated Qi Yunjie, general manager of Shandong Banmuhuatian Biotechnology Co Ltd, the developer of "Valley Garden".

Additionally, Gaozhuang sub-district is fostering the integration of tourism with agriculture and red culture. This includes developing agritourism projects with the Mingli Specialty Vegetable Planting Cooperative and the Pengxiang Fruit and Vegetable Planting Cooperative, as well as establishing a provincial red culture village based on the 709 Cultural Industry Park. These efforts are continuously injecting new vitality into local rural vitalization. (Edited by Li Weiwei)