City a magnet for tourists this National Day holiday
A sightseeing bus with a Shanghai Tourism Festival theme out and about in the city.
The upcoming seven-day National Day holiday has sparked a rise of bookings in the tourism and catering sectors.
The festival effect, along with a wealth of exciting events, has made Shanghai a magnet for both domestic and international tourists.
And the number of local "tourists" visiting venues has increased by more than three times recently as well, according to Shanghai Spring Tour.
In addition to the "hotels plus micro-tour" and "rural camping" craze in the urban and suburban areas of Shanghai, the ongoing "The Great Art of Dunhuang" at the China Art Museum has further fueled the local tourism market, it said.
A visitor to the "The Great Art of Dunhuang" exhibition.
The travel operator has turned an outlet in downtown Huangpu District into a theme store for the exhibition, featuring more than 40 selected "Shanghai Gifts."
Also a "Shanghai Gifts" themed sightseeing bus has been launched.
The number of visitors to the outlet has increased several times compared to usual after the upgrade.
Refrigerator magnets featuring landmark attractions of Shanghai.
Post-80s and 90s generations have become the main force of travelers during this year's National Day holiday, with the number of reservations exceeding the same period last year.
According to Meituan's online booking data, the number of booking for accommodation during the weeklong holiday has jumped 22 percent from the same period a year ago.
The city's majority of inbound travelers will be coming from provinces including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shandong.
Most popular spots in the city include Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinshan City Beach, Haichang Ocean Park, Shanghai Wild Animal Park and major theme parks, which are expected to attract over half of tourists from out of town.
With the tourism market heating up rapidly, the "food-oriented traveling" trend is driving a rapid increase in reservations in the catering industry.
Restaurants are predicted to have a busy time during the holiday.
On the first day of the holiday alone, more than 20,000 tables have been booked at 1,000-plus outlets of China's hotpot chain Haidilao nationwide.
The hotpot chain has launched several new dishes for the autumn season just before the holiday.
There include two new Hulun Buir beef rolls, including a new cordyceps flower beef roll, to satisfy autumn health demands.
Mashed shrimp fish roe sandwich, black truffle fish roe beef rice and a new seasonal beverage that combines the flavor of sea buckthorn, passion fruit and mango are also the new recipes on the menu.
Exciting and innovative dishes are on offer.
The customer flow near scenic spots is expected to increase significantly during the holiday, with diners booking private rooms 10 days in advance, the hotpot chain said.
At Joy City in Jing'an District, the Starry Sky Bubble House and outdoor seating on the rooftop terrace under the iconic Ferris wheel have become a new popular dining spot for the young generation.
"The bubble house is very innovative, and enjoying hotpot under the Ferris wheel and overlooking Shanghai's night view delivers a 'light urban camping' feeling that children find particularly novel," said a diner surnamed Li.
