Shandong is the only province on the eastern coast of the Yellow River Basin. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong province in East China has taken solid measures to promote the deep integration of local culture and tourism to advance the high-quality development of its tourism sector.

Shandong is known for its rich cultural and tourism resources, and with its favorable location and strong development foundation, it has the potential to become a top tourist destination.

The provincial government has recently unveiled a comprehensive set of guidelines that not only showcase the region's distinct characteristics and strengths, but also establish clear objectives for seamless integration between culture and tourism.

The policy document emphasizes the importance of cultural innovation and the development of traditional cultural values. It proposes the creation of demonstration zones for innovative development of excellent traditional culture, focusing on key projects such as the exploration of the Shandong cultural heritage and the interpretation of the Qilu culture.

In addition to cultural innovations, the province is keen on preserving and promoting its revolutionary heritage. The guidelines emphasize exploring significant events, achievements, and figures from various eras to create top-notch tourist destinations and routes that showcase the "red culture".

Shandong's 1,000-mile coastline presents a unique advantage for the development of maritime tourism. The guidelines propose the development of coastal cities, eco-tourism on islands, underwater explorations, and maritime cultural experiences. Major projects such as self-driving scenic routes will be implemented to improve the quality of coastal tourist resorts and core attractions, creating several high-quality island tourism products.

As an industrial powerhouse, Shandong also aims to capitalize on the potential of industrial tourism. It plans to develop international industrial tourism bases, such as Qingdao Beer, Dong'e Ejiao, and China Oriental Aerospace Port, aiming to make industrial tourism a new highlight of tourism development and an impetus for industrial transformation.

The guidelines emphasize the importance of promoting rural tourism in Shandong as a means to improve the standard of living in rural areas. To achieve this, the province is focusing on preserving and celebrating local agricultural and folk traditions, in order to create a welcoming and engaging environment for visitors.

With its unique geographical location as the only province on the eastern coast of the Yellow River Basin, Shandong plays a vital role in integrating Yellow River culture and tourism. The guidelines propose collaboration with other provinces and regions along the Yellow River to create a Yellow River cultural tourism belt.

It suggests holding the Yellow River Cultural Forum and promoting the construction of the Yellow River Estuary National Park.

The Department of Culture and Tourism in Shandong will continue collaborating with other provinces and regions to jointly build the brand, explore cultural heritage, and protect the ecology, thus telling the story of the Yellow River in the new era.