Visitors enjoy the sunset in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in Jiangsu province received about 70 million tourists from January to September this year, generating a total tourism revenue of over 80 billion yuan ($11.25 billion).

Both the number of tourists and tourism revenue increased by 15 percent year-on-year.

Since the start of the year, local authorities have offered a wide variety of high-quality cultural and tourism products and services, resulting in a lively and dynamic cultural and tourism market in the city.

Local authorities have prioritized upgrading and enhancing key scenic spots. Qitang City and the Li Changyu Criminal Investigation Museum have achieved the national 4A-level tourist attraction status, while three new 3A-level scenic spots have been added. Several landmark projects, including the Yellow Duck Theme Park and the Silk Road Theme Park, have been introduced.

At the same time, Nantong hosted over 600 activities, including the Spring Festival folk parade and the summer coastal seafood carnival from January to September. These events benefited about 10 million local residents and drew over 5 million tourists from outside the city.

Well-known online influencers were also invited to experience and promote Nantong, resulting in related short videos amassing over 500 million views.

The Fun in Nantong smart service platform was optimized to provide more intelligent and convenient tourism services. In addition, local authorities implemented effective measures to address industry issues such as unreasonably low-priced tours and forced consumption, ensuring a more reassuring and comfortable travel experience for the public.