Full speed ahead for city tourism
Shanghai is in top gear to merge culture and tourism resources and build an international cultural metropolis and world-famous tourism destination by developing urban night tours, raising the quality of countryside minsu (B&Bs) and intensifying efforts to promote the city, the city's cultural and tourism authorities announced on Thursday.
The authorities have included cultural venues and facilities such as museums, galleries and theaters into tour routes and products, and 80 art-tourism and intangible cultural tourism routes were released in spring and summer, the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism said.
A total of 1,237 historical buildings in six districts have been installed with QR codes giving information in Chinese and English, allowing visitors to read text, listen to audio, watch videos or even enjoy virtual reality tours by scanning the code with their smartphones.
The administration has released a list of more than 100 cultural venues and tourist attractions that open at night as part of the city’s efforts to enrich its nightlife.
The list includes 105 scenic spots, art galleries, museums, parks, bookstores, and tourist and cultural complexes. Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Wild Animal Park and Shanghai Century Park are on the list.
Night tourism itineraries such as Huangpu River tours and museum trips at night are also developed. Fourteen museums in Shanghai began trials of night opening on Friday, the administration said.
Nearly 60 countryside minsu in Shanghai have been licensed, and the quality of their services will be upgraded, said Yu Xiufen, director of the administration.
Shanghai's tourism authorities have also enhanced exchanges and cooperation with counterparts in the Yangtze River Delta region with agreements signed and single-pass tour products launched.
A blacklist targeting cultural and tourism service providers is being established in the region, the administration said.
"A joint supervision and management working mechanism covering the whole region to crack down on irregularities in the industry will be established," said Zhang Qi, deputy director of the administration.
Promotions on the city's tourism resources have been conducted at home and abroad.