The founding ceremony of the Federation of Cultural and Tourism Cooperation in the Jiaodong Economic Sphere and an event to celebrate China Tourism Day (May 19) were held at the Qingdao International Convention Center. The event was hosted by Qingdao People’s Government, Yantai People’s Government, Weifang People’s Government, Weihai People’s Government, and Rizhao People’s Government and organized by the municipal culture and tourism bureaus of Qingdao, Yantai, Weifang, Weihai, and Rizhao, under the directions of the Shandong Culture and Tourism Department.

Wang Qingxian, a member of the standing committee of Shandong Province and the Secretary of Qingdao Municipal Committee, signed the Letter to be sent to tourists nationwide on behalf of Five Cities of Jiaodong. The culture and tourism bureaus of the five cities in the Jiaodong Economic Sphere (Qingdao, Yantai, Weifang, Weihai, and Rizhao) signed the MOU on Cooperation in Integration and Qualitative Development of Culture and Tourism in the Jiaodong Economic Sphere and announced the establishment of the Jiaodong Federation of Cultural and Tourism Cooperation. The five cities also announced a culture and tourism policy oriented benefits for people and introduced products themed “Taking a Deep Breath in the Mountains and on the Beach: Healthy Tourism in Jiaodong” in innovative ways such as a musical and commentary by a guide.

The five cities plan to enhance cooperations in a wide range of areas including tourism marketing, special tourism products, projects and public services in the culture and tourism sector, cultural exchanges with external parties, and more. They will pursue joint marketing campaigns, host massive tourist events, launch product series, foster competitive products incorporating tourism such as sea excursions and an international grape coast tour, and promote innovative products in the culture and tourism industry. They are also planning to create a joint brand called “Jiaodong Youli.”

In addition, they will pursue investment relations and regional integration projects and share policies to benefit people in the culture and tourism sector. They will also seek harmonious advancement in the TV and film industry, yacht and cruise industry as well as in the aeras of intangible cultural heritage, recreation and sightseeing at sea and on islands, travels for healing, and so on. They will create a mechanism for cooperating in public cultural services, offer services to promote tourism, share museum resources and intangible cultural heritage, and link cultural heritage protection and archaeological projects. Furthermore, taking full advantage of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s pilot zone platform, policy competitiveness of the Pilot Free Trade Zone, and advantageous geographic position being near Korea and Japan, they will foster a service brand that can roughly be translated as “Go Sightseeing in Jiaodong to Your Heart’s Content” and have a greater influence on the areas of culture and tourism.

In order to lead economic growth, promote the culture and tourism sector, and allow the region to unleash its full potential, Qingdao has allocated CNY 35 million to the culture and tourism industry. The policy will benefit people not only in Qingdao but also in other cities of Jiaodong: Yantai, Weifang, Weihai, and Rizhao.

Qingdao has set up a section dedicated to implement the policy on its service platform and invited cultural businesses from Yantai, Weifang, Weihai, and Rizhao to promote their goods and services. Businesses in the sector of culture in Qingdao are encouraged to promote the goods and services on behalf of the four cities and participate in the event. Through these measures, the residents of the five cities will share the subsidy on the platform. As for the tourism sector, tourism products and programs in the five cities will be offered at the event through online travel agencies based in Qingdao.