The "Zhongshan Road ICH Show" in Siming district. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]
During the just-concluded Spring Festival holiday, Xiamen once again became the focus of national attention thanks to its incredible popularity. According to CCTV's Xinwen Lianbo, the coastal city was named one of China's Top 10 most popular tourist destinations for Chinese New Year.
Data from OTA platforms show that during the holiday, Xiamen ranked among the nation's Top 10 destinations for both inbound travel and popular hotel bookings. The number of sailing and yacht trips also increased by 30.14 percent year-on-year, while participation in marine tours grew by 12 percent.
Moreover, Xiamen was featured on Xiaohongshu's list of 13 "super popular" cities across the country.
This year, Xiamen celebrated Spring Festival with over 1,500 cultural events, from intangible cultural heritage showcases and folk performances to exhibitions and live entertainment.
It also launched its "Citywide ICH Year" festivities. Highlights include the "Zhongshan Road ICH Show" in Siming district, and an ICH garden party at the "Minnan Timewalk" theme park. Visitors can even stumble upon ICH flash mobs in subways, parks, and streets throughout the city.
It was the sheer fun of it that convinced Australian tourist James to plan a return trip to Xiamen for a deeper, more immersive experience in two months' time. Just days ago, he was among over 2,200 cruise passengers from 14 countries and regions aboard the Star Voyager to explore the city. They enjoyed an interactive travel experience combining cruising, cultural tourism, and Chinese New Year customs.
China has decided to extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the United Kingdom starting from Feb 17.
Forty-one new port-of-entry duty-free shops have been established nationwide, with Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, Xiamen Wutong Passenger Wharf, and Xiamen International Cruise Center included on the list.
