December 31, 2016 Official WeChat of Pingnan Tourism

Planning foreword

At the end of this year, exciting news came out of the Ningde tourism industry again: the Tourism Development Plan during "13^th Five-year" Period recently released by the State Council has brought great advantages and development opportunities to the tourism industry development in our city. As one of the major blocks in the tourist area on the strait's west side, Ningde has been included in 20 characteristic functional areas of the national tourism industry to get cultivated and promoted.

This is another piece of good news received by the local tourism industry in this year. In retrospect of the "achievements" that Ningde tourism has obtained this year, we can see a series of big moves and fruitful results.

One after another excellent accomplishment deserves to be recognized. On the occasion of ringing the old year out and the new year in, we have specially checked events within Ningde tourism industry in this year, which are closely associated with the eastern Fujian locals. Through the retrospect and summary, we're looking forward to the development of Ningde tourism and the construction of a charming Ningde in 2017.

Let's usher in a new journey and enter into the golden age of Ningde tourism industry's comprehensive improvement.

Overview 

Foreign tourists visited the eastern Fujian to appreciate its beauty

In 2016, while closely focusing on two targets of "making tourism industry a leading emerging industry in Ningde" and "making Ningde a famous mountain-and-sea leisure and tourism destination nationwide", and under the guidance of "five concepts of development", the tourism system citywide has accelerated the supply side's structural reform, fulfilled its duty and made active moves to present a satisfactory status of the tourism industry with simultaneous improvement of quantity and quality. 

Visitors came continuously from all over the country

From January to November, Ningde has received a total of 19.81 million visitors, achieving a year-on-year growth of 18.3%; and its tourism revenue has reached up to RMB 17.3 billion in total, achieving a year-on-year growth of 23.9%. Such an accomplishment is of great importance for the tourism industry development in the first year during "13^th Five-year" period!

Highlight 1

Strategic status has been boosted again

Ningde has been included in characteristic functional areas of the national tourism industry

Baishuiyang has been selected on the list of scenic byways of world heritage sites in eastern China

The Tourism Development Plan during "13^th Five-year" Period recently released by the State Council has brought great advantages and development opportunities to the tourism industry development in our city. As one of the major blocks in the tourist area on the strait's west side, Ningde has been included in 20 characteristic functional areas of the national tourism industry to get cultivated and promoted. Meanwhile, among the layout of 25 national scenic byways, the Wenzhou (Zhejiang) - Fuzhou (Fujian) area crossing Ningde has been selected as the southeast coastal scenic byway; and Pingnan Baishuiyang Scenic Area has been selected as the scenic byway of world heritage site in eastern China, and also received key construction. 

Baishuiyang

As some industry participants point out, this action means that, as a growth pole of the regional tourism industry development nationwide, Ningde has gained the national recognition; under all-level efforts spent on its innovative development, Ningde tourism industry is presenting a new appearance and radiating attractive charm, winning great popularity and high praise. Taking this opportunity, the Ningde tourism industry is expected to usher in a golden age of comprehensive improvement.

Baishuiyang

Highlight 2

Poverty relief via tourism is solidly advancing

The mode of "rural development driven by the scenic area" is renovated and implemented

In this year, via a combination of the rural tourism development and scenic area creation & improvement, Ningde has closely associated tourism development with accurate poverty relief, and renovated the mode of "rural development driven by the scenic area" for poverty relief via tourism. Under great efforts spent on cultivating characteristic rural tourist attractions & routes, constructing beautiful villages, developing rural tourism and perfecting rural infrastructure, farmers have been guided and motivated to participate in the tourism development, thus bringing great opportunities to realize the "beauty of villages and well-being of villagers". By virtue of the tourism market, people having financial difficulties can increase their revenue and get rid of poverty.

Fu'an Liancun Scenic Area

Driven by the promotion of "rural development driven by the scenic area", great achievements have been made in the poverty relief via tourism citywide. In 2016, among the growth performances of tourist amount and tourism revenue citywide, those achieved in the rural scenic areas and related routes have accounted for over 60%. In the past year, scenic areas like Jiulixi were successively awarded as the national demonstration project of "rural development driven by the scenic area" for poverty relief via tourism; Dujia Village (Fuding) and Taoxi Village (Gutian) were awarded with the title of "2016 China's Beautiful Villages for Leisure" by the Ministry of Agriculture; 21 villages/towns (e.g. Qidu Town in Jiaocheng District) were listed in the fifth batch of provincial famous historical and cultural towns.

Fuding Jiulixi Scenic Area

Highlight 3

Brand image is getting brighter

Scenic areas citywide have been awarded with numerous national and provincial honorary titles

Pingnan County

A national green tourism demonstration base has been successfully set up in Pingnan County, which is the one and only in Fujian at present; 3 projects (e.g. National Tourism Resort at the Huancuiping Lake, Gutian County) have been listed in the Directory of National Optimal Tourism Items issued by the National Tourism Administration; Sandu Island has been honored as China's "Top Ten Beautiful Islands" in 2015 by the State Oceanic Administration and the China Ocean Photographers Association; Jiulixi Scenic Area has been awarded as the national demonstration project of "rural development driven by the scenic area" for poverty relief via tourism; Dujia Village (Fuding) and Taoxi Village (Gutian) were awarded with the title of "2016 China's Beautiful Villages for Leisure" by the Ministry of Agriculture; 21 villages/towns (e.g. Qidu Town in Jiaocheng District) were listed in the fifth batch of provincial famous historical and cultural towns.

328 items citywide have participated in the brand selection activity of "Refreshing Fujian · Preferable 600" organized by the Provincial Tourism Administration, ranking No. 1 for the quantity of participants in Fujian...

Guided by the brand leading strategy, Ningde tourism brand is getting brighter!

Jiaocheng Sandu'ao Scenic Area

Highlight 4

"Red Tourism" is sparkling

Four scenic areas have been included in the national red tourism development strategy

Pingnan red tourism scenic area

The eastern Fujian is abundant in characteristic red tourism resources. Under great supports from the national authority and the Provincial Tourism Administration, Ningde has, while starting from the "Civil-Military Integration", strengthened the construction of red key projects, issued red high-quality tourist routes, improved red tourism development & management, and boosted the healthy development of red tourism. In 2016, under the recommendation by the Provincial Tourism Administration, four projects have been included in the national red tourism development strategy, namely the improvement projects for Ningde Sandu'ao Military Harbor Base, Pingnan Classical Red Tourism Area, Fu'an Classical Red Tourism Area, and Former Site of the Independent Division in Eastern Fujian (Jiaocheng District). "Red tourism" is sparkling. 

Highlight 5

Projects lead to upgrading and acceleration

Tourism public service system is gradually perfected

The construction of 130 projects has been vigorously advanced at the beginning of this year; at present, 112 projects are advanced in total as scheduled and progressing smoothly; RMB 462 million is included in the yearly intended investment in six projects of provincial tourism, and a total of RMB 390 million has been invested from January to November; as planned in 2016, 4 county-level tourist service centers should be set up, in which a total of RMB 112 million should be invested, and so far, RMB 107.9 million has been invested, accounting for 96.34% of the yearly intended investment amount.

Wherein, a yearly investment of RMB 40 million has been planned for Taimushan Tourism Distribution Center (Fuding), in which RMB 42.30 million has been invested so far. This project has been basically completed at present, and will be put into trial operation before the end of December.

Highlight 6

"Civilization in the toilet" enjoys popular support

Continuous efforts spent on "tourist toilet revolution" have been paid off

Propaganda for civilized behaviors in the toilet

The tourist toilet is an important criterion to measure both the tourism infrastructure and service level. In terms of the tourist toilet construction, Ningde has emphasized environmental protection & practicality, and also ingeniously integrated local cultural connotation in it, thus embodying local characteristics. In 2016, it has been planned to build 115 tourist toilets citywide (107 newly built and 8 reconstructed/expanded); so far, 105 have been built and put into service, while 10 are under construction, and will be fully completed and put into operation before the end of December as scheduled.

景区公厕

Public toilets in scenic areas

On October 9, the National Tourism Administration released "Red & Black Lists" of scenic areas during the National Day holiday, and Taimushan Scenic Area was included in the "Red List", awarded as "Optimal Scenic Area for Toilet Revolution". On October 12, Ningde also initiated the "Propaganda Campaign among the Multitude for Civilized Behaviors in the Toilet" themed by "Start from Our Own to Behave in a Civilized Manner in the Toilet", advocating the tourist self-discipline and civilized travelling to actively create an optimal tourism development environment.

Highlight 7

Tourism promotion is fresh and new

Ningde tourism image is promoted comprehensively by virtue of various media

CRH trains named after "Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark" are released

With "Green Ningde, Refreshing Fujian" taken as a theme image, the multi-level, high-density and all-around promotion has been carried out, and a piece of Ningde tourism promotion film (15 sec) has been launched continuously in CCTV-4 and SETV; 2 CRH trains from Beijing to Fuzhou have been named after "Refreshing Fujian • Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark"; online promotions have been innovatively carried out on lvyou.zgcsol.com and www.tianya.cn, with the tourism marketing platform set up and propaganda campaigns held like the "relay of light-emitting cities nationwide" and the "entertainment in Ningde - who is the best"; promotions via SMS and official WeChat/website of tourism have been continuously carried out; promotional items for Ningde tourism have been manufactured, including the brochures, tourist handbooks and maps, and souvenirs have also been provided for tourism promotion, such as handmade soaps and white tea. 

Promotion on the lvyou.zgcsol.com

Promotion on the www.tianya.cn 

Highlight 8

Marketing is expanded on a diversified basis

Pursuant to "Going out and ushering in", a great amount of industry events have been held to boost the reputation of Ningde tourism

Taiwan self-driving tour members drop by Ningde

"Ushering in" - by virtue of sophisticated planning, tourists are ushered in to experience the beautiful landscape of Ningde. The "Taiwan self-driving tour members visit Ningde" & drop-by of the Self-driving Tour Association of East China (six provinces and one direct-controlled municipality) in Ningde was held for the first time. The "Entertainment in Ningde - who is the best" campaign was organized, during which an experiencing team formed by tourism experts on the www.tianya.cn visited Ningde from three routes to feel the charm of its mountains, sea, rivers and islands; the 31^st Annual Meeting of Geological Society of China Tourism Earth Science & Geopark Branch & Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark Construction and Tourism Development Seminar was held, during which domestic top-class tourism experts and earth science experts were invited to exchange achievements, share experiences, and actively offer advices during the discussion about the sustainable development of Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark.

Experts within the industry are convened to put forward their suggestions about the development of Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark 

"Going out" - tourism promotion is vigorously boosted to show the wonderful scenery of Ningde Numerous activities were carried out, such as the "ten thousand people visit the eastern Fujian" in Shanghai, "Lucky Tour Group - commonweal tour in Chixi", "Refreshing Fujian - Green Ningde" tourism promotion meetings in Beijing and Jinan; in addition, nearly one hundred of key travel agencies in Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian were invited to Ningde for surveys of tour routes. 

Tourism experts on the www.tianya.cn are experiencing the charming eastern Fujian

Ningde tourism promotion is held in Jinan

Highlight 9

Festival cultures are rich and colorful

The Global Geopark Culture & Tourism Festival & multiple tourism-themed events have been successfully held 

On October 15, the 6^th Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark Culture & Tourism Festival was successfully held; aiming to "create potential and boost tourism via the festival", this event has become Ningde tourism culture brand. More than 30 festivals and events were successively held in various counties (cities, districts); wherein, over 500 thousand tourists were received during the Fu'an Peach Flower Festival, achieving a year-on-year growth of over 40%; and over 20 thousand tourists were attracted by each activity during the agricultural tourism festival held in 6 townships (e.g. Dianxia) of Fuding.

She Ethnic Culture Festival on March 3^rd

Fuding Rural Tourism & Culture Festival

Peach Flower Festival held in the She Ethnic Township, Fu'an

Highlight 10

Industry management is comprehensive and normative

Both the supervision and evaluation are strengthened comprehensively, with the order in tourist attractions specially rectified

On-site meeting of scenic area rectification & improvement

Being awarded as a Level A scenic area doesn't mean getting it done once and for all! In 2016, the Work Program for Rectifying and Improving the Management and Service Quality in Level A Tourist Attractions in Ningde was prepared and issued, and the advance will for rectifying and improving the management and service quality in Level A tourist attractions citywide was held; experts, tourism quality supervisors and landscape commentators were organized to publicly and privately investigate 15 Level A tourist attractions citywide; and Fujian Huatong Market Research Co., Ltd. was entrusted to carry out full-process experiential private investigations to such tourist attractions. Issues found in Level A tourist attractions were regularly reported and checked, with relevant punishments imposed on some Level A tourist attractions, including 1 being "cancelled", 2 being "publicly criticized" and 3 being "warned". In order to further improve the management & service level as well as tourist satisfaction of Level A tourist attractions, it's necessary to make on-site investigations and practical rectifications. 

(Photo & Article: official website of Pingnan Tourism)