The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has seen a robust recovery in tourism during the May Day holiday, said local officials.

The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province is a popular tourism destination in China. [Photo/WeChat account: qdfbwx]

According to the Qingdao municipal bureau of culture and tourism, 72 A-level or above scenic spots monitored by the bureau received about 2.25 million tourists during the five-day holiday and generated an operating income of 79.23 million yuan ($12.23 million), up 12.8 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level in 2019.

In addition, the average occupancy rate of the 64 star-rated hotels that were monitored hit 73.28 percent, with gross operating income totaling 45.89 million yuan, up 13.95 percent compared with the same period in 2019.

"Under the influence of multiple factors such as huge market demand, timely favorable policies and sufficient vacation time, the cultural and tourism market in Qingdao has achieved considerable growth during the May Day holiday," said a local official, adding that many scenic spots in Qingdao saw peak passenger flow on the first day of the holiday.

Visitors take photos of the picturesque landscape in Laoshan Mountain during the May Day holiday. [Photo/WeChat account: qdfbwx]

On May 1, tourists made 39,700 trips to Laoshan Mountain, a popular scenic spot in Qingdao. Over the holiday, the scenic spot received 219,300 tourists and generated 15.34 million yuan in income.

The Fantawild Dreamland, an amusement park in Qingdao, welcomed 64,900 visitors during the holiday, with revenue growing 28.28 percent compared with the figure in 2019.

Tourists enjoy the May Day holiday at Qingdao Fantawild Dreamland. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]

Red tourism, or a subset of tourism in which people visit sites with historical significance for communism in China, is also booming in Qingdao.

As this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, many scenic spots and cultural venues have launched activities and exhibitions related to the learning of CPC history, in turn attracting hordes of tourists.

The city's historical sites with a revolutionary legacy also proved popular during the holiday.

Qingdao sees a strong tourism rebound during May Day holiday. [Photo/guanhai.com.cn]