Qingdao's winter cultural tourism sector heated up during the past New Year holiday.

Visitors strike the large bell to pray for a prosperous new year in Laoshan Mountain Scenic Area in Qingdao. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

According to statistics from the Qingdao municipal bureau of culture and tourism, from Jan 1 to 3, 72 A-level scenic spots in the eastern coastal city received 387,200 tourists, up 57.07 percent year-on-year, and their operation revenue reached 7.3 million yuan ($1.15 million), a year-on-year increase of 39.56 percent.

To further stimulate the consumption potential of the winter culture and tourism market, and continue to tap into the new formats of winter tourism in Qingdao, the local culture and tourism bureau has launched 10 ice and snow themed routes that include the city's major scenic areas such as Laoshan Mountain, Shaohai National Wetland Park, and Andersen's Fairy Tale Paradise.

Qingdao has also been promoting local cultural and tourism resources via popular short-video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou.

Skiing and hot springs proved popular during the New Year holiday. On the first day of the holiday, Wenwang Mountain Ski Resort received more than 500 tourists. More than 7,000 people visited the snow park at Cuilin Yunzhuang Country Paradise during the three-day holiday.

People gather to gaze at the sunrise along the seaside in Qingdao on Jan 1. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

A series of cultural activities were also held at scenic spots and public cultural venues to usher in the New Year.

During the New Year holiday, the city's 10 key monitored commercial and trade enterprises achieved sales of 420 million yuan, up 19.9 percent year-on-year. The city's major business blocks and shopping malls launched coupons, discounts and special offers to attract consumers.

People attend the New Year celebrations at Qingdao Mangrove Resort World on Dec 31, 2021. [Photo/IC]

On top of that, a variety of holiday commodities reported excellent stock numbers. Gold, silver, jewelry and other commodities were very popular with a year-on-year sales growth of 54.3 percent. Sales of children's toys, food and beverages, and garments increased significantly, with year-on-year growth of 21.5 percent, 18 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively. Sales of cosmetics and household appliances grew steadily, up 8.9 percent and 5.4 percent year-on-year, respectively.