Shanghai unveils measures to boost tourism industry

Twenty digital scenic spots and 600 digital hotels will be launched in Shanghai this year, according to a guideline released on Thursday.

The guideline, which is aimed at supporting the development of the tourism industry in the city, contains 12 new measures which include improving the quality of the industry and aiding its digital transformation.

Compared with the previous 12 measures, which were released by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism in 2020 in response to the pandemic, the new measures were released by nine bureaus, including the Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, the Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, and the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. The measures cover aspects such as finance, education, social security and taxation.

"There are three important changes in tourism consumption demand that were created by the pandemic. They include how tourism destinations have shifted from global to domestic, the change in tourism modes from group tours to family or customized tours, and how tourists now prefer experiential travel rather than just sightseeing," said Fang Shizhong, director general of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

"We will accelerate the construction of tourism destinations, the digital transformation of tourism, and the cultivation of new tourism formats," he added.

Fang noted that the new measures will increase the support of tourism special funds to encourage investment and construction of tourist resorts and destinations. Efforts will also be made to link funds with major projects in the city, such as the five new suburbs that are being developed.

For small and micro-sized tourism enterprises, the new measures will allow them to gain more financial support and develop new products, routes and services.

More related talents will also be cultivated by tourism enterprises to support the industry.

According to data released by the culture and tourism bureau, Shanghai received about 61 million domestic tourists in the first quarter of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 104.9 percent, and 75 percent of the figure from the same period in 2019.

On the other hand, the international tourism market has yet to fully recover. The city received 218,100 inbound tourists in the first quarter, a year-on-year decrease of 65.84 percent, or 11 percent of the figure from the same period in 2019.