Dalian to expand foreign trade as it eyes 1 trillion-yuan milestone

"In Dalian, we can watch seagulls, penguins and pandas, and all of those animals are quite cute," said a South Korean traveler surnamed Kim. "We can also taste different kinds of food. The city is very clean and it is quite fun."

To facilitate foreign tourists' purchases, by the end of May, some 26,800 merchants in Dalian accepted payment by foreign debit and credit cards. The number was 170 percent higher than the number in February 2024, according to the Dalian Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

With no intense heat in summer or severe cold in winter, the city also has a climate advantage over other travel destinations, the bureau said.

For this summer's peak holiday period, domestic and foreign carriers are ramping up efforts to launch new flights or boost the frequency of flights on existing routes to meet growing traveler demand.

State-owned China Southern Airlines, for instance, has increased flights between Dalian and Seoul to three times a day, as well as daily flights to Osaka in Japan.

Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport — set to become the world's largest offshore airport on an artificial island — is currently under construction, with the main project scheduled for completion by 2028. It is also expected to become a regional transportation hub in Northeast China.

Meanwhile, Dalian is committed to building an internationally influential consumption center by promoting new stores, exhibitions, and screenings to further stimulate market vitality.

"We would like to build ourselves into a preferred destination for watching popular concerts," said Shan Meina, head of the Dalian Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

"The local government has issued 10 measures to promote the concert economy. This year, over 20 concerts have been scheduled throughout the year."