East China's Shandong province witnessed strong rebounds in tourist arrivals during the Spring Festival holiday as pent-up demand was unleashed after China optimized COVID-19 response measures.

The photo taken on Jan 25 shows a bustling scene on Kuanhouli Commercial Street in Jinan, capital of Shandong province. [Photo/Dazhong News]

According to statistics from the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Shandong recorded over 39.16 million visits made by tourists during this year's Spring Festival holiday, generating tourism revenue of 26.03 billion yuan ($3.84 billion).

During the week-long holiday, the province's 14 5A tourist attractions received 3.51 million visitors, up 90.6 percent year-on-year. Mount Tai, an internationally renowned scenic spot in Shandong, welcomed 302,500 tourist arrivals during the holiday, which is the highest Golden Week record in the past decade.

Tourists flock to Zhanqiao Pier, a landmark scenic spot in Qingdao, during the Spring Festival holiday. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Ahead of Spring Festival, Shandong launched a slew of preferential measures to boost cultural and tourism consumption. Of the 456 scenic spots that charge entry fees in the province, 375 have implemented ticket exemption policies.

During the holiday, discounts, vouchers and subsidies worth 18.62 million yuan were distributed across the province, which directly resulted in a sales revenue of 53.66 million yuan.

Over 800 Spring Festival galas, temple fairs, village bazaars, folk culture performances and intangible cultural heritage promotional activities were held across Shandong to promote the unique local Spring Festival culture and create a festive atmosphere.

Lanterns highlight the festive atmosphere at a scenic spot in Shandong. [Photo/Dazhong News]