Yantai city welcomes Shandong province's first inbound tour group from South Korea on April 14 after China restored group tour services for inbound tourists in late March. [Photo/WeChat account: ytwlgw]

Forty tourists from South Korea arrived at Yantai Penglai International Airport on April 14, which is the first South Korean inbound tour group to Shandong after the adjustment of the visa and entry policies in March, and is opening a new chapter of inbound tourism in Yantai.

"We are so excited to receive the characteristic tourist commodities prepared by the Yantai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and we are full of expectations and yearning for this leisure tour in Yantai," a tourist said.

This year, China has launched a campaign to boost consumption in the cultural and tourism sectors. The campaign, which will last until the end of this year, also aims to ensure that people benefit from consumption. The continuous optimization and adjustment of China's epidemic prevention and control policies have also helped boost the fast recovery of the country's tourism and culture sector.

Shandong plans to arrange 10 million yuan ($1.46 million) of rewards to subsidize tourism-related sectors, including chartering a plane, taking a cruise and organizing field-research tours in the province, according to the provincial department of culture and tourism.

Since the beginning of this year, Yantai has launched a wide range of promotional activities to promote its culture and tourism industry, and invited travel agencies from South Korea and Russia to visit Yantai to explore its new tourism products. The city has also created a series of activities to attract tourists and provide subsidies to boost local tourism.

The leader of the tour group from South Korea said that through years of development, the culture and tourism sector in Yantai has improved greatly, and the city's charming coastal scenery and fresh local delicacies are its special charms.