Shanghai rolls out measures to boost tourism

SHANGHAI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai municipal government Tuesday released new measures to promote the recovery and development of tourism, the third year in a row that the city has introduced such measures.

Shanghai will implement tax and fee cuts, and reductions in rent, water, electricity, gas, and internet costs for industries severely affected by the epidemic, including tourism.

Shanghai also encourages local enterprises and schools to hire travel agencies to arrange transportation, accommodation, catering, conference and exhibitions, and spring and autumn outings for students.

The city will guide financial institutions to appropriately increase their loan quotas and lower interest rates for tourism-related projects as well as expand support from the city's special fund for tourism development for agencies and scenic spots.

The new measures aim to activate the momentum of tourism transformation and high-quality development, according to Fang Shizhong, director of the municipality's administration of culture and tourism.

Statistics show that there are more than 6,000 hotels and 130 national A-level tourist attractions in Shanghai. There are more than 10,000 tourism enterprises and about 500,000 employees.