 Olympics promotes Qingdao tourism
By Zhang Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-15 08:24 QINGDAO: Enormous numbers of visitors from home and abroad are now gathering in the city of Qingdao on Fushan Bay in Shandong province to enjoy the glamor of the Olympic sailing competition. "The Olympic Games is injecting vigor into Qingdao's tourism industry. The city is stepping forward to become a prestigious coastal tourism city," said Wang Jiangong, director of Qingdao Tourism Bureau. Using the opportunity of the Olympics to promote its tourism industry has become Qingdao's new highlight. Statistics show that visitors to the seaside city have increased more than 30 percent annually over the five years since it began preparing for the Games. Last year tourists numbered 30 million. Its May 4th Square is now dotted with foreign tour groups. After watching races at the neighboring sailing venue, they often spend their evening at the Beer Street near the square to enjoy Tsingtao Beer - a famous Chinese brand produced in its namesake city. "I really like the city. It's very beautiful. I am happy to be here," Isabelle Finn-Kelcey from Britain told China Daily. Qingdao boasts unique tourist attractions and historic culture featuring a blend of mountains, the sea and Western-style buildings. The coastal resort offers marine sports, sightseeing and vacation tours. The city's western sector has a large number of well-preserved Western-style buildings over a century old, while its east has developed into a prosperous and dynamic modern commercial hub. The two combine to give tourists a novel experience of enjoying the Oriental and the Occident, the traditional and the modern. Big events and large exhibitions such as the Qingdao International Beer Festival, the China (Qingdao) Ocean Festival and China International Electronics Show also drive the local tourism economy. Tourist information is now offered in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean in Qingdao's major ports, main roads, star hotels and scenic spots. Its hotels include the Sheraton and Hyatt from US, Kempinski from Germany, Sofitel from France and other world-renowned hotel groups that started arriving in 2004. (China Daily 08/15/2008 page24) |
