Wuhan in Central China's Hubei province recently recorded a strong performance in terms of its tourism industry, with 6.92 million trips - a new record - made to the city from Feb 11 to 16, according to local media reports.
The tourism revenue from this six-day period stood at 3.47 billion yuan ($537 million).
During the period, five major commercial groups in the city - Wushang, Zhongbai, Zhongnan Commercial, Wuhan Industry and Trade Co, and Hanshang - saw accumulated sales of 930.29 million yuan.
To boost consumption and encourage people to stay put for this year's Spring Festival, Wuhan issued consumer coupons worth 100 million yuan to those who chose to stay in Wuhan instead of leaving for their hometowns.
In addition, the Wuhan municipal bureau of culture and tourism issued 2 million free tickets for open scenic spots (that is, scenic spots that are mainly outdoors) to those with residence permits who chose to stay in Wuhan for the holiday period.
The tickets could be used in 24 scenic areas in Wuhan including Yellow Crane Tower, Wuhan Botanical Garden and Mulan Mountain.
According to statistics, more than 130 theaters in the city opened during the Spring Festival holiday period. Between February 11 and 16, the number of cinemagoers was 2.22 million, and box office revenues hit 102.97 million yuan.
A total of 36 museums held 96 offline exhibitions and on-site experience activities in celebration of the Year of the Ox, as well as launching online exhibitions and live broadcasts.
