The press conference and signing ceremony for the construction of several key facilities intended to transform the future of tourism in the southern Chinese city of Beihai was held in Nanning, on September 11.
With a total investment of 134 billion yuan (approx. US$19.5 billion), 17 major tourism projects with a focus on entertainment and culture were signed, including three with investment of more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion), seven with investment of 2 to 10 billion yuan (US$300 million – 1.5 billion) and seven with investment of less than 2 billion yuan (US$300 million). The projects cover the whole range of facilities necessary for a successful holiday or travel experience, including five tourism complexes with an investment of 99.5 billion yuan (approx. US$14.5 billion), three themed amusement parks with an investment of 5 billion yuan (approx. US$728 million), two tourism infrastructure projects with an investment of 11.5 billion yuan (approx. US$1.7 billion), as well as high-end hotels, recreational facilities, sports arenas and improvements to the airport to allow for an increase in the number of daily flights. The investment and construction of these facilities meet the requirements for the upgrade and development of Beihai’s tourism industry and are of great significance for making up for the city’s current shortcomings in terms of what can be offered to the traveler or visitor, expanding the range of tourism-related offerings, improving the overall level of tourism services, and speeding up the transformation of the local tourism sector into a new hundred billion yuan industry.
As part of the effort, several major international hotel groups have agreed to open a property in Beihai, among them, Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental and Wyndham, starting a wave that is likely going to witness the construction of several more high-end hotels. Beihai plans to invest hundreds of millions of yuan annually to offer continuous support for further development of aviation facilities. The airport currently handles 27 domestic and 2 international routes to 32 cities. In 2017, the city received 30.698 million domestic tourists, an increase of 24 percent over the prior year, who spent 36.5 billion yuan (approx. US$5.3 billion), an increase of 28 percent. From January to August this year, the city received 25.447 million domestic tourists, an increase of 28.3 percent year-over-year. They spent 32.3 billion yuan (approx. US$4.7 billion), up 37.4 percent. The numbers demonstrate the sustained and rapid growth of the sector.
Beihai was listed in the first group of cities designated as an China Excellent Tourism City by the China National Tourism Administration, with its unique natural and tourism resources being a key factor in the designation. The administration, while compiling the list, noted ten elements, each one related to the sea, that make Beihai unique and worthy of being included in the first batch: the wide expanse of ocean itself, a pristine grey-white quartz sand beach, easily accessible islands each with their own distinctive features, several large seafood markets, marine treasures, seabed coral, marine life, maritime forests, an aquarium specializing in shellfish and coral, and an area at the aquarium featuring Chinese naval history.
SOURCE Beihai Tourism Development Commission