Tai'an in East China's Shandong province welcomed more than 94.29 million visitors in 2024, with tourism revenue reaching 90.27 billion ($12.51 billion), year-on-year increases of 12.3 percent and 12.6 percent, respectively. More than 8 million of the visitors had also visited last year.

These remarkable achievements were announced at a cultural tourism development conference held in Tai'an from May 13 to 14. According to the conference, in the first quarter of this year, the city received 20.1621 million domestic tourists and generated a tourism revenue of 19.01 billion yuan, representing increases of 9.47 percent and 10.63 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of inbound tourists grew by 76 percent.

A tourism-themed conference held in Tai'an Shandong province, showcasing the city's remarkable tourism performance in 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In recent years, relying on the new Taishan Cultural Heritage Innovation Demonstration Zone, Tai'an has prioritized the development of its cultural and tourism industry. The city has focused on developing a tourism model that integrates Taishan Mountain with other fields, such as rural and ecological tours.

Feicheng, the host city, has achieved remarkable progress in the high-quality development of its cultural and tourism industry. It has actively integrated into Tai'an's tourism strategy, promoting comprehensive cooperation in scenic areas, product optimization, and route integration. From January to April this year, it received 1.69 million visitors and generated a comprehensive tourism revenue of 990 million yuan, with year-on-year increases of 26.2 percent and 25.5 percent, respectively.

Tai'an boosts tourism through cultural innovation. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]