Ordos cashes in during May Day holiday

A swarm of tourists visits the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Ordos during the May Day holiday. [Photo/WeChat account of Ordos News]

The city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia autonomous region broke a new record in tourists during the past May Day holiday, according to a local media report.

Statistics showed that the city received 1.7 million tourists during the four-day holiday, a year-on-year increase of 34.2 percent.

The booming tourism revenue generated during the past holiday reached 760 million yuan ($112 million), marking a year-on-year increase of 15.1 percent. 

Most of the tourists came from the city’s neighboring provinces and cities, such as Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, and other cities in Inner Mongolia.

Officials said the city also saw an increasing number of visitors from Beijing, Tianjin and the Yangtze River Delta region, possibly because of the previous tourism roadshows organized by the Ordos authorities in these regions. 

The 17 4A-level-above scenic spots in Ordos received nearly 1 million tourists. The top five popular tourist destinations were Ordos Wildlife Park, Ordos Grassland Silk Road Cultural Scenic Area, Wanjiahui Paradise, Jiucheng Temple and the Resonant Sand Gorge, with each scenic spot receiving over 50, 000 tourists during the holiday.

Enthusiastic tourists pose for a photograph at the Resonant Sand Gorge, a 5A-level scenic spot in Ordos, during the recent May Day holiday. [Photo/WeChat account of Ordos News]