Weekend tours to outlying islands that are within an hour’s trip from Shenzhen are gaining traction for family holidays and companies’ team building and year-end activities, according to a report of Shenzhen Economic Daily.
The Shekou Cruise Home Port operates ferry services to Macao, Zhuhai, Wailingding Island, Dong’ao Island and Guishan Island.
With the anticipation of year-end activities and the winter holidays including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, Shenzhen Oceanus Group initiated year-end happy island tours, offering big promotions and a wide variety of activities.
“For holidays like Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Kaisa Dong’ao Island Keyu Holiday Resorts has been nearly fully booked with limited rooms available,” said Mo Mo, a manager of the hotel.
With the opening of the ferry service from Shekou to Dong’ao Island, the island has become popular among Shenzhen residents for its beaches, forests and sunshine. Though winter is not the best season for travel, the Shekou-Dong’ao Island route is still popular as it is a sightseeing route where ferry passengers can enjoy the views of Hong Kong airport, Lantau Island and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge along the route.
Guishan Island and Wailingding Island, the two islands of Wanshan Archipelago, which is off the coast of Zhuhai, have become popular tourist attractions for travelers from Shenzhen and its neighboring cities.
About 35 nautical miles from Shenzhen, Wailingding Island is a national 4A scenic spot. The Xiangsiling Holiday Villas for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day have been fully booked and tourists from Shenzhen take half of them, according to Zhou, a receptionist at the hotel.
Guishan Island, an hour’s trip from Shekou, has been popular since the ferry service was inaugurated this August.
“Through the speedboat service, passengers can be taken to different areas around Guishan Island. They can enjoy the sea view and avoid fatigue caused by a long journey,” said Zhou Chen, supervisor of the brand department of Shenzhen Oceanus Group.