Hubei's culture and tourism industry sees recovery

Hubei provincial government held a press conference on the novel coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday, with the latest update about the recovery of its culture and tourism industry.

In Hubei, the province hit hardest by COVID-19 in China, 301 A-level scenic areas, 36 culture venues, 518 travel agencies and 335 starred restaurants had resumed business as of Monday. Enclosed entertainment venues like internet cafes and karaoke bars (besides those in Wuhan), can reopen after approval of the local government.

During the five-day Labor Day holiday, 7.36 million visits were made to the province, with tourism revenue of 2.45 billion yuan ($ 344.7 million). Each tourist spent 333.4 yuan on average.

Lei Wenjie, head of the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said Hubei's culture and tourism industry is recovering. With preferential policies and good prospects, the consumer market shows signs of a turnaround.

The provincial government recently issued a policy to accelerate the industry's recovery, including a 100 million yuan fund to assist scenic spots, hotels, travel agencies and related companies to weather the tough period.

They also distributed consumption coupons and took measures to encourage locals to tour around the province.

Wuhan was ranked as the domestic destination that Chinese tourists wanted to visit the most, according to a recent survey by the Tourism Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Lei is confident that as COVID-19 ebbs, tourists from other provinces will travel to Hubei, bringing new opportunities for the culture and tourism industry.