Inner Mongolia moves to support cultural, tourism industries

The government of North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region recently promulgated an ordinance to help two pillar industries, in the wake of the improving novel coronavirus situation, according to a report from Xinhua News Agency.

Local officials said the initiative is called: Measures to Support the Cultural and Tourism Industry Accelerating Recovery and Development Under the Impact of the Epidemic.

The measures include reducing company operating costs, increasing business credits support, improving the quality of tourism products, stimulating cultural and tourism consumption potential and increasing tourism promotions.

Under the measures, the leagues and cities in Inner Mongolia will reduce or exempt the rent payable in the second half of the year in properties operated by State-owned enterprises and government agencies, but are leased by cultural and tourism enterprises.

For eligible tourism businesses that do not lay off or reduce their employees, 50 percent of the total unemployment insurance premiums actually paid by companies and their employees in the previous year will be refunded, and the premiums returned to small, medium and micro-sized enterprises will be increased to 100 percent.

For cultural and tourism enterprises that have been greatly affected by the epidemic and whose operations are temporarily distressed, financial institutions will be instructed not to withdraw or suspend loans.

For enterprises that have real difficulties in repayments, financial institutions can extend or renew loans.

Meanwhile, the government has encouraged financial institutions to lower the interest rates on loans for cultural and tourism enterprises, as well as increase the coverage of loans for the businesses.

In addition to lowering operating costs, the government will also seek to improve the experience of tourists by cracking down on behavior that disrupts the order of the tourism market, as well as seek to provide better and a richer range of tourism products.

Officials said these measures will include taking action against unreasonable and artificially low-priced tours, cheating or coercing tourists to shop – as well as efficiently handling tourist complaints.

Additionally, measures to stimulate tourism consumption and tourism promotions will be undertaken.

They will include ticket exemptions for medical workers that were on the frontline of the fight against the virus, school graduates and tourism groups organized by travel agencies.

The government will also employ multiple media – including videos, pictures, travel notes and internet celebrity sharing -- to strengthen tourism promotions and advertising.