Tourism festival boosts consumption in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Spanning over 20 days, the 34th Shanghai Tourism Festival boosted consumption and promoted tourism in eastern China's metropolis, said the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism on Friday.

During the tourism festival from Sept. 16 to Oct. 6, Shanghai recorded over 38.46 million tourist trips and visits, with a total of 88.66 billion yuan (about 12.35 billion U.S. dollars) spent on tourism-related activities, up 13.5 percent year on year.

Over the duration, the occupancy rate of hotels in Shanghai reached 59 percent, 5 percentage points higher than the same period last year.

International cultural and tourism festivals, exhibitions and competitions held in Shanghai have significantly boosted consumption and helped promote the development of Shanghai as both an international consumption hub and a globally renowned tourist destination, said Fang Shizhong, director of the administration.