Crowds at Shenzhen’s OCT East on Saturday when the theme park announced the opening of all its facilities.
THE city government has set a strategic goal to build Shenzhen into an international coastal tourism city.
According to an agreement signed Saturday before the ceremony of the opening of all facilities at OCT East, the Shenzhen government and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) will establish a close coordination committee headed by Shenzhen and CNTA officials.
The development of the Dapeng Peninsula will be the key part of the cooperation. According to the agreement, Shenzhen will speed up the development of Xiasha tourist resort, Xichong International Convention and Resort Center as well as hotel clusters, to create a coastal resort with international appeal on the peninsula.
“In terms of policies, Shenzhen will be given priority to pilot a National Leisure Plan and measures relating to flexible holidays, paid holidays and learning tourism,” Shao Qiwei, head of the CNTA, said at the agreement signing ceremony.
China’s tourism industry ranks the fourth in the world. It was “big but not strong,” and traveling and sightseeing were mainstays of China’s tourism, Shao said.
“We don’t have high-end resorts for coastal leisure and my agency is seeking typical examples in coastal tourism to upgrade traditional tourism industries,” Shao said.
The national tourism authorities will also support Shenzhen’s cultural tourism, key tourism enterprises like the OCT and their classic tourism products.
The city will enhance marketing on domestic and overseas markets to promote theme parks and coastal resorts, Wang Rong, acting mayor of Shenzhen, said.
The OCT East had received 3.9 million visitors and earned 3.5 billion yuan (US$515 million) during the two years since the trial opening in 2007.
The tourist resort with a total investment of 3.5 billion yuan now has two theme parks, three tourism towns and four holiday hotels. By the end of this year, its revenue is expected to reach 4.5 billion yuan.
Han Ximin