Multiple localities in China initiate measures to enrich cultural life of tourists, boost consumption during Spring Festival

Tourists visit a Spring Festival shopping festival in Jimsar county, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhang Yun)

Planning a trip to regions with lower risks for COVID-19 in China has become a popular choice for many Chinese during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, with many taking shorter trips and for shorter durations, as statistics from various online travel agencies have revealed.

A report released by online travel agency Fliggy.com showed that nearly 60 percent of the bookings made on the platform were for short-distance travel routes, while high-end resort hotels, family-friendly hotels, hot-spring hotels, hotels offering entertainment services and unique experiences, and rural homestays have all been popular among those trips.

Suburban tourist destinations are meanwhile rolling out a rich variety of activities for local tourists to take part in during the holidays. Beijing’s Yanqing district will hold cultural and tourism activities themed on the Spring Festival and the Olympic Winter Games, which will overlap with each other. Sang Pingping, who works in Beijing, said she will take her parents to the suburbs of Beijing to enjoy quality travel experiences.

Other places in the country have also launched travel products to welcome tourists during the holidays by making full use of local tourism resources. Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality instituted multiple travel routes covering 13 iconic scenic spots that will allow local residents and tourists to fully experience the charm of the metropolis.

Fuzhou, the capital city of southeast China’s Fujian Province, has recently kicked off a culture and tourism festival, which will last until Feb. 20. During the festival, the city will launch 66 high-quality travel routes, hold 150 activities to enrich the cultural life of local residents, and offer 20 preferential tourism policies at scenic spots, all in an attempt to guarantee a happy holiday for local residents and tourists.

By focusing on culturally-themed performances, parent-child activities, delicious food, photography activities, wellness cultivation, and science popularization, the variety of activities planned for the holidays will be able to satisfy tourists’ diverse and personalized needs, in addition to providing an important means to boost consumption.

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning body, released a notice aimed at boosting consumption as the Spring Festival holiday approaches, with a stated intention of doing so while maintaining precise COVID-19 controls. The notice said multiple measures should be taken to meet residents’ needs during the annual festival, and that consumption related to culture and entertainment should be encouraged.