[Photo via Beijing Daily]
Beijing's tourism market has rebounded strongly during the Spring Festival holidays, returning to nearly 90 percent of the pre-COVID level, thanks to the optimized virus prevention measures.
Approximately 7.13 million people visited the capital city during the seven-day Spring Festival holidays, up 6.2 percent year-on-year, reaching 88 percent of the number registered in the same period of 2019, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
Major tourist attractions reported total revenue of about 7.46 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), up 57.6 percent on a yearly basis, reaching 91 percent of the level in the same period of 2019, the bureau said.
A representative of the bureau said that although the number of visitors to Beijing's 158 key scenic spots was less than that seen during the Spring Festival holidays in 2019, tourist attraction revenue jumped 19 percent compared with the same period in 2019, thanks to improved performance across tourist business districts and commercial blocks.
Rural tourism was warmly welcomed by visitors during the holidays, receiving a total of 1.341 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 54.4 percent, up 22 percent over the same period in 2019.
Ice and snow has become a highlight for rural areas during the holidays.
Beijing's suburb Yanqing district topped the list of rural tourism with its renowned skating and skiing venues during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Located on the Xiaohaituo Mountain in Yanqing, the Yanqing Olympic Zone consists of venues and facilities for the 2022 Winter Olympics including the National Alpine Skiing Center, National Sliding Center, and the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Village.
Apart from tourism, cultural activities are also returning to normal levels across the capital city.
The city's 87 theaters held 1,061 offline commercial performances during the holidays, attracting a total of 217,000 visitors, up 64.4 percent on a yearly basis, with box offices hitting 33.64 million yuan, up 27.1 percent year-on-year.
