Mega-investments boost Dalian's Jinshitan Kyoto-Style Street

Tourism authorities hope 6 billion yuan in funding brings more Japanese capital.

A ground-breaking ceremony for Jinshitan Kyoto-Style Street was held at the end of July in Jinshitan National Tourism Resort in Dalian, Liaoning province, making a new surge of investments in the area.

With a total investment of 6 billion yuan ($840 million), the project was established to attract Japanese investors in the fields of hotels, catering, shopping, culture and real estate.

Ken Ishihara, a board member of the Japan Hotel Association, said he is very optimistic about the project and his association will help introduce Japanese businesses to the street.

Ishihara said the association has been in touch with more than 50 member enterprises in Japan.

Jinshitan is one of the three key areas of Dalian's Jinpu New Area, the 10th national-level new area in China.

The Kyoto-Style street is only one example of the recent investment boom in Jinshitan.

According to Liu Jinhong, chief of the administrative committee of Jinshitan National Tourism Resort, nine large projects, involving a total investment of 11.84 billion yuan, have been launched this year.

Several other large projects with a combined investment of 3.44 billion yuan are scheduled to break ground later this year.

In addition, local businesses are talking with their partners on 14 key projects, with a total investment of 16.65 billion yuan.

"The large projects are crucial to Jinshitan's ambition to develop into a first-class international tourist resort," said Liu, who added that the administrative committee is making all efforts to ensure smooth progress of the projects.

Zhou Chunwei, sales chief at Dalian Luneng Property, said the company has benefited significantly from the local administration's effective and considerate services.

"The administrative committee has helped solve many pressing problems for us, allowing the company to better operate its projects in Jinshitan," Zhou said.

Luneng's projects in the area, including the Luneng Outlets, a water park and a number of commercial facilities, are playing an increasingly important role in local economy and employment, Zhou said.

As tourism is the core part of Jinshitan's economy, local authorities have taken action to help companies access tourism and cultural resources in the rest of the country and across the world.

In late June, a symposium on cultural tourism was held in Jinshitan, where more than 40 experts and entrepreneurs as well as senior executives of 27 companies shared their insights with local government officials.

The experts offered their suggestions on how to foster a cultural tourism industry with local characteristics.

Zhan Dongmei, a scholar from the China Tourism Academy, advised local authorities to position the local tourism industry in a manner different from that of other regions, highlighting both its natural landscapes and diversified cultures.

Jinshitan Tourism Resort is in the northeast of Dalian, with a 50-minute drive to the city center. Boasting 35 kilometers of coastline, the area was rated the nation's highest 5A-level tourist resort.

The area features steep cliffs, unique rocks, white-sand beaches and a number of accommodation, catering, relaxation, sports and cultural facilities.

Adding to the area's attractions are local authorities' efforts to improve the environment and regulate the tourism market.

These include campaigns to crack down on illegal operations of passenger transporting vehicles, illegal tour guides and overcharging.

Liu Fei, general manager of Discoveryland Park, said the campaigns offer a good market environment for law-abiding enterprises and help improve tourists' experience in Jinshitan.

"More visitors are coming to our park this year for summer vacation and we predict the number of visits and our income can both increase more than 20 percent from the same period of last year," Liu said.

Local residents and tourists also said that Jinshitan has become a better place to live and visit.

The improved environment and well-established facilities have made Jinshitan a good venue for conferences, shows, and sports and cultural events.

Such events include the Dalian International Beach Culture Festival, the Winter Swimming Festival, the International Beach Volleyball Competition, the International Wedding Tour Festival, as well as events for sailing, marathon and dancing.

The Dalian International Beach Culture Festival, with this year's session held from July to September, is one of the most highlighted events in Jinshitan.

Liu, of the administrative committee, said this festival featuring high technology content and wide participation of residents and visitors is becoming more popular internationally.

"With the beach culture festival and other activities, Jinshitan strives to develop a high-end cultural tourism industry and build a world-class tourist resort," Liu said.

In 2018, Jinshitan Tourism Resort received more than 6 million visits, with tourism income reaching 2.5 billion yuan, according to the administrative committee.