The eastern coastal city of Weihai, Shandong province has been ramping up efforts to promote road trips in the city as Labor Day Golden Week approaches.

A tourist highway for drivers of personal cars has been launched by the city to further tap into tourism potential.

A tourist highway for drivers features picturesque coastal and mountain landscapes. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The route, dubbed "1001 Coastal Drive", features unique natural landscapes and 1,001 kilometers of coastline and mountain scenery. The route will open on May 1.

The itinerary traverses Weihai's most scenic areas along the coastline and mountains such as Kunyu Mountain and Daru Mountain. It boasts the country's first standardized self-driving tourist highway, according to local officials.

The main line of the highway is 501 kilometers long, consisting of 325 kilometers of sea road, 176 kilometers of mountain road, and 12 rest stops.

People drive their own vehicles on a highway in Weihai. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A branch of the highway is 500 kilometers long and covers more than 90 percent of the city's tourism attractions, connecting scenic spots, hotels, RV campsites, homestays, and agricultural sightseeing sites.

Driving tourism is booming in Weihai, a coastal city in Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Available along the itinerary are four ski resorts, nine natural hot springs, 11 State-level marine ranches, 50 A-level tourist attractions, more than 80 agricultural tourism sites, and nearly 100 industrial bases.

The driving tourism market has proved popular in Weihai. Last year, road trips accounted for 67 percent of tourism during the National Day and Mid-Autumn holiday period, making up 71.3 percent of tourism in Shandong and more than 80 percent in Weihai.

The upcoming May Day holiday will bring about enormous opportunities for driving tourism in the city, said local officials, adding that the city will launch more supporting facilities and improve services to attract more tourists.

An RV campground in Weihai, Shandong province [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A section of a tourist highway in Weihai [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A rest stop along the tourist highway in Weihai [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The tourist highway connects most scenic spots in Weihai. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A modern marine ranch in Weihai [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]