Fu Shen Shuang / Ti Gong
China’s tourism industry has seen a strong recovery this summer, with airfare prices rising by up to 50%.
According to Trip.com, a global travel service provider from China, a “Trip to China” boom is spreading across the country, with tourist bookings this summer up 100 percent compared to the same period last year.
Overall, Trip.com claims it has seen a 150% increase in orders from 14 countries with visa-free access to China, including Germany, Malaysia and Thailand, with Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Kunming being popular tourist destinations.
Long-haul trips remain a popular choice in both domestic and international travel markets, and major sporting events such as the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024 have created a travel boom to Europe, with tourist orders to France and Germany increasing by 80% and 150% respectively, the company said.
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Online travel agency Tongcheng Travel said the average price of a domestic flight ticket for the two weeks after June 22 was 795 yuan (US$109), up 7 percent from the previous week, with some popular routes seeing an increase of more than 20 percent.
International airfare prices in early July are already up about 50% compared to the same period in June, and the increase is expected to accelerate in mid- to late July due to the peak summer travel season, the ministry said.
The country’s cultural and tourism authorities are stepping up efforts to attract tourists in anticipation of a summer tourism boom.
Southwest China’s Yunnan province is planning coordinated efforts to showcase its summer tourism splendor in Shanghai to strengthen cultural and tourism ties, and expand tourism markets in Yunnan and Shanghai.
The Yunnan Provincial Culture and Tourism Bureau has drawn up a list of 10 summer resorts, including Chuxiong, Yuxi, Dali, Lijiang and Baoshan, known for their cool summer climate.
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Yunnan elephant mascot
Fangshan, in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, has a forest coverage rate of 70 percent and a summer temperature of 17 degrees, making it an ideal summer resort.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the largest natural air conditioner in Lijiang city, and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden under the Chinese Academy of Sciences features not only a variety of fascinating rainforest plants, but also a dreamy summer landscape with fireflies twinkling everywhere at night. This summer, the garden has launched a night tour program to transport guests to the magical land of rare plants.
Recommended places for stargazing in summer include Erhai in Dali City, Yixiang Town in Pu’er City, Fuxian Lake in Yuxi City, Geng’e Village in Baoshan City, and Yuanmo Earth Forest Scenic Area in Chuxiong City.
Shanghai and Yunnan will carry out coordinated promotional activities to attract tourists to Japan.
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Shaoguan, a tourist-heavy city in southern China’s Guangdong Province, has also stepped up cooperation with Shanghai in culture and tourism, announcing a cultural and tourism program this summer to launch 1,000 tourism associations and solicit corporate investment.
Shaoguan city launched 78 cultural tourism projects on Friday to attract corporate investment in Shanghai, and a tour group of 1,000 Shanghai residents is expected to visit the city this summer.
There are 30 eco- and health tourism initiatives, 17 history- and culture-based projects, and 11 hotel and bed & breakfast projects.
One of them is to transform Caoxi Cultural Town into a Zen-style tourist destination.
Shaoguan has 44 3A and above tourist sites and many tourist attractions.
Mount Danxia, a World Natural Heritage Site, a World Geopark, a National Nature Reserve and the source of the Danxia Landform, has more than 680 peaks and pillars of different shapes and sizes, as well as Gumeiguanguan, Zhuji Lane, Nanhua Temple, Nanling National Forest Park and Jinjiling.
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