Tourism numbers in Qingdao soar during National Day holiday

The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province saw a total of 5.83 million domestic tourist trips made during the seven-day National Day holiday, with tourism consumption hitting 5 billion yuan ($775 million), official data showed.

The week-long holiday saw a surge in tourism as people unleashed the strong demand for traveling that was suppressed over the summer holiday due to sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks, said industry insiders.

Scenic spots and cultural venues in Qingdao launched a series of activities and promotions during the holiday to attract and entertain visitors.

During the holiday, 60 starred hotels monitored by local authorities had an average occupancy rate of 50.53 percent. The occupancy rate of five-star hotels stood at 54.74 percent, while that of four-star hotels reached 49.19 percent and the figure for three-star hotels hit 48.01 percent.

The city's 72 A-level scenic spots received 2.77 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 25 percent. Their operating revenue increased by 27.63 percent to 64.8 million yuan.

The city's box office raked in over 43 million yuan (including service fees) during the holiday, an increase of about 20 percent compared with the same period in 2020. More than 900,000 people flocked to the movie theaters.

Travel agencies said they saw an increase in tour package reservations. Red tourism, in which people visit sites with historical significance to the Communist Party, and tour products focusing on autumn scenery appreciation and family trips proved popular during the holiday.

From Oct 1 to 7, the top 10 key retail and commercial enterprises in Qingdao generated sales of 938 million yuan, up 19.6 percent year-on-year. Popular commercial pedestrian streets, such as the Taidong Pedestrian Street, welcomed more than 1 million visitors and had a turnover of more than 100 million yuan.