Huguangyan scenic spot teems with tourists during the Spring Festival holiday. [Photo by Zheng Zhonghua/Zhanjiang Evening Post]

A total of 6.03 million tourists visited Zhanjiang during the week-long Spring Festival holiday from Feb 4 to 10, producing 2.16 billion yuan ($318 million) in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 19.7 percent.

Big data statistics showed that about 3 million of the visits were by out-of-towners, 624,100 more than last year.

Seventy-eight cultural and sports activities were rolled out throughout the city, including the 4th Western Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival at Loong Bay International Ocean Resort, a folk art and antique carnival at Fisherman's Wharf, a gourmet culture festival in Lianjiang's Anpu town, and more.

Warm weather brings crowds of tourists to Jinsha Bay in Zhanjiang. [Photo by Li Bo/Zhanjiang Evening Post]

The warm weather during Spring Festival made coastal tourism products even more appealing than usual. The Jinsha Bay Coastal & Leisure Tourism Zone alone received 300,000 visits throughout the holiday.

With the newfound popularity of rural tourism, the city attracted more than 3 million people (up 23 percent year-on-year­) wishing to sample farmhouse treats, admire flowers, and take part in activities such as fishing and picking vegetables.

Additionally, lantern fairs at Sanling Mountain Forest Park, Luogang Small Town and the Zhanjiang Olympic Sports Center extended tourists' stay at scenic spots and drove up consumption.