Summer fun is back as residents swarm to book culture, tourist venues
Playa Maya Water Park in Shanghai is traditionally a popular summer destination.
Shanghai residents are ready to swarm to the city's cultural and tourist venues to revive the long-awaited fun of travel as ticket booking and online search for cultural and tourist sites soared on Thursday.
Local tourist attractions, museums and galleries, cinemas and theaters, public libraries and cultural venues will gradually reopen from Friday, the city's cultural and tourism authorities announced.
Shanghai university student Wan Xiaochun quickly worked out her travel plans following the announcement.
She will visit the Shanghai Museum with her friends on Friday, and Shanghai Happy Valley with her boyfriend the next day.
"Of course, we will dine out together after the trips because the fun of dining at restaurants is irreplaceable," she said.
"I am eager to watch a film now, and also enjoy the fun of a drama at the theater. I feel that life is finally back to normal," Wan added.
Shanghai-based online travel operator Trip.com said the online searches for tourist attractions in Shanghai soared nearly 200 percent on Thursday from a day earlier. It was up over 300 percent for museums and exhibition halls, based on search figures.
The ticket bookings for local tourist attractions had reached 70 percent of the level in February, it said.
Playa Maya Water Park is a popular summer season venue.
Shanghai Disney Resort, Haichang Ocean Park, Shanghai Happy Valley, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Playa Maya Water Park, Jinshan City Beach, Shanghai Wild Animal Park and Shanghai Zoo are the most popular attractions in the city based on search numbers.
"The combination of a raft of tourism-spurring policies and waning of the pandemic will further boost Shanghai's cultural and tourism market," said Fang Zeqian, a tourism analyst.
The city's tourist attractions are also in full swing for the booming summer tourism season.
Playa Maya Water Park in Songjiang District, scheduled to reopen on Saturday, said it will host an electric music festival from July 8 to woo visitors. The festival will feature band performances, dances and parties.
The number of visitors will be kept below 75 percent of its daily maximum capacity, and a mandatory reservation is required.
Its water treatment system will circulate disinfection and purification every four to six hours to ensure a safe environment, the park operator said.
Cooling off in the water jet pool at Playa Maya Water Park.
