Province seeing boom in tourism

The first half of 2018 saw a strong increase in Shandong's tourism market, with a total of 370 million tourists from China and abroad visiting the province, a year-on-year increase of 9.2 percent.

The total consumption volume made by those visitors reached 436.09 billion yuan ($67.01 billion), an increase of 13.6 percent year-on-year. And the per capita consumption of tourists has increased by more than 4 percentage points over the same period.

The total increase in tourism consumption, meanwhile, is 3 percentage points higher than the total amount of all-round consumption in the entire province.

During national holidays in the first half of 2018 such as the New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, International Workers' Day and the Dragon Boat Festival, Shandong became a hot destination for tourists, attracting a total of 120 million visits, an increase of 13.6 percent year-on-year.

The province is also expanding its tourism in the global market. In the first half of this year, the province received a total of 2.33 million foreign visitors, an increase of 5.5 percent year-on-year.

Blessed with a wealthy history, the coastal province in East China has played a major role in the Chinese civilization. Therefore, the province offers those with a love of culture and history numerous things to see and do.

Mount Tai, one of the most prominent attractions in the province, is located in the city of Tai'an. The majestic sunrise, sacred cliffs and blooming crabapples attract crowds of tourists every year.

The city of Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, holds grand ceremonies every year to pass down the cultural heritage of that philosopher to the next generations, as well as to memorize the teachings of one of the greatest thinkers in Chinese history.

Known as the cradle of kites, Weifang gained fame as the "city of handicraft" during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Nowadays, Weifang kites, paper cutting, Chinese New Year woodcut painting and shadow play have become the province's iconic cultural legacies.

Jinan, capital of Shandong, is also called Spring City. More than 700 natural springs flow through the city. The Baotu Spring, which is also called Spurting Spring, is the most famous among them.

Qingdao, the coastal city, is currently holding the 28th Qingdao International Beer Festival. During the festival, there are a total of 13 tents for visitors to taste beers and other alcoholic drinks, providing more than 1,300 kinds of beer from more than 200 international brands.

Dongying, a city where the Yellow River enters the Bohai Sea, offers visitors the chance to see a wetland ecosystem in China's temperate zone. Every year, rare and endangered birds arrive there and breed their young.

To boost local tourism, the province is pouring in plenty of investment. In the first half of this year, more than 1,100 tourism projects were put on schedule in the province, with a total investment value of 115.3 billion yuan, an increase of 9.8 percent year-on-year.

liyou@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/19/2018 page29)