Fujian experiences strong tourism rebound during May Day holiday

A view of Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian province. [Photo/VCG]

Fujian province ranked fifth among the most popular tourist destinations in China and witnessed a boom in its travel market during the five-day May Day holiday this year, according to data released by social networking platform Mafengwo.

During the holiday, Fujian received a total of 26.44 million tourists and tourism revenue of 19.57 billion yuan ($2.83 billion).

Flourishing cultural tourism

Thanks to an array of favorable policies issued by the provincial government earlier this year, the number of tourists in Fujian experienced a strong rebound during the May Day holiday and soaring consumption in cultural tourism. Its 117 4A-level and above scenic spots received a total of 4.86 million tourists in the first four days of the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 260.4 percent. Hot spot destinations included Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Meizhou Island and Nanri Island in Putian, and Pingtan.

Significant increase of long-distance tourists

The number of tourists from outside Fujian accounted for more than 20 percent of the total. Many of the tourists came from Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Beijing and Shanghai.

Special night tours

Special night tours presented unforgettable travel experiences for visitors with beautiful night views, art performances and incredible food. Many open-air music parties were held in trendy areas such as Zhongshan Road commercial block in Xiamen and Jimei district, adding vitality to the region's nighttime economy. Zhangzhou Ancient Town launched the puppet carnival activity, which attracted numerous tourists.

New business formats

The province also created new business formats such as camping under the starry night sky, a trunk market, making tea around the stove and open-air movies to boost cultural tourism and attract younger tourists. Earlier this year, Fujian launched a series of camping activities with boutique routes such as the Dehua summer camp adventure and Guling camping.

Performing arts 

The mode of "tourism plus performing arts" became a travel craze during the May Day holiday. Street art, music festivals and intangible cultural heritage shows were staged, such as the Xiasha Music Festival in Fuzhou, cultural creative markets in Quanzhou and the music festival in Putian, which attracted many visitors.