Deqing County on fast track to tourism success
Deqing.
Scenic countryside.
Deqing County in neighboring Zhejiang Province has stepped up its integration into the Yangtze River Delta region, and cooperation with Shanghai, by inking agreements and launching high-speed railway trips from the city over the weekend.
The Deqing County Culture, Radio and Television, Tourism and Sports Administration signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Shanghai branch of the Yangtze River Delta Region Integration Tourism Alliance in Shanghai to deepen cooperation and exchanges between Deqing and Shanghai in the tourism sector.
Under the agreement, joint marketing campaigns will be conducted and tour groups organized from both cities to enhance regional tourism competitiveness.
Rays of the sunlight burst through clouds.
A hundred tourists embarked on a trip from Shanghai to Deqing on Saturday, kicking off a high-speed railway tour program from Shanghai to Deqing.
About one third of the tourists Deqing receives are from Shanghai, with most are self-drive travelers, the administration said.
More group tours from Shanghai to Deqing by rail will be organized.
Construction of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou high-speed railway started in June, and it will cut the travel time between Deqing and Shanghai to 45 minutes upon completion for direct trips.
Tickets to tourist attractions in Deqing, sports and accommodation coupons were distributed by local authorities during a tourism promotion event in Shanghai over the weekend.
To defer the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic, Deqing authorities undertook a variety of measures such as distributing consumption coupons totaling 8 million yuan (US$1.15 million), webcasts and theme activities such as group weddings to boost tourism.
Deqing, located in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta region, is within two hours' drive of Shanghai. It features picturesque landscapes of mountains, lakes and wetlands. It is home to Moganshan, a 4A national tourist attraction and one of the country's top summer retreats boasting nearly 800 minsu (Chinese version of B&B). It also boasts Xiazhu Lake and Xinshi Ancient Town with a history dating back more than 1,700 years.
During the May Day holiday, Moganshan B&B received about 40,000 guests, and the figures of May 2 and 3 were equal to last year's, the administration said.
