Tourism sees sign of recovery

Citizens take a rest near the fishing pond at Donghu Park in Luohu District. Wang Haolan

The city has seen tourism recovering during the May Day holiday, the first and longest holiday since the outbreak of the COVID-19.

In the five days, tourists took more than 1.07 million trips in the city and the tourism sector fetched 803 million yuan (US$115 million), according to the local tourism authority yesterday.

Despite the tight measures of COVID-19 prevention and control, parks, tourist attractions, shopping centers and business streets experienced an increase of visitors and spending.

In Luohu District, the single-day visits to Dongmen Business Street exceeded 510,000 on May 1, 60 percent of the visits on the same day last year.

Compared to 3,000 visits per day at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, the increase was 170 times as many visitors. The daily business transactions during the holiday also resumed one third or a quarter to the level of pre-epidemic days.

In Nanshan District, the night economy of Sea World business square was also ignited by visitors for shopping, leisure and sightseeing.

In Bao’an District, the sea of flowers in Waterland Resort attracted visitors. The park has launched a monthlong flower arts festival.

“On May Day, we recorded 9,600 visits and on May 2, the number increased to more than 10,000. To control the risk of COVID-19 infection, we had to limit the number of visitors,” according to a DT-News report, quoting an employee of the park.

Tourist attractions in Dapeng, which is known for beautiful beaches and hostels, was the hottest destination during the holiday.

Spots on the peninsula had been fully booked by visitors and some roads in Dapeng, especially to Yangmeikeng, were seriously congested.