Eight cities of Jinan, Zibo, Dongying, Jining, Tai'an, Dezhou, Liaocheng, and Binzhou sign a strategic agreement on tourism cooperation for the Shandong provincial economic circle at the conference on Oct 15. [Photo/WeChat account: SDTXTA]

A promotional event focusing on cultural tourism collaboration among cities in Shandong capital economic circle was held in Tai'an, East China's Shandong province on Oct 15.

Nearly 200 government officials and representatives of cultural tourism companies from eight Shandong cities of Jinan, Zibo, Dongying, Jining, Tai'an, Dezhou, Liaocheng, and Binzhou attended the conference.

The conference integrates the cultural tourism resources in the eight cities, expand tourism market and help promote the high-quality development of Shandong's cultural and tourism industry.

Liu Honghai, Party secretary of Tai'an delivers a keynote speech at the conference. [Photo/WeChat account: SDTXTA]

During the conference, the cultural and tourism bureaus of the eight cities jointly signed a strategic agreement on tourism cooperation for the Shandong provincial economic circle to promote regional tourism development.

The eight cities also issued the Declaration of Mount Tai to promote to jointly make create high-quality tourism routes and promote all-for-one tourism, which focuses on the upgrading and integration of tourism resources, public services, systems and mechanisms, regulations and policies to boost economic development with tourism being the new engine for growth.

Tai'an city's scenic spots, travel agencies, and self-driving travel associations signed more than 100 cooperation agreements with domestic partners, 20 of which were signed online.

According to Liu Honghai, Party secretary of Tai'an, Tai'an government paid much attention to the development of cultural and tourism industry. It focuses on fostering innovative tourism products such as mountain tourism, leisure experience, hot spring vacation, rural tourism, and sports.

Official data show that tourists made nearly 3.7 million trips to Tai'an during this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Oct 1 to 8, generating revenue of 3.6 billion yuan ($54.51 million), demonstrating the recovery of the city's tourism.