Catering in China saw significant growth in the May Day holiday on May 1-5, as food tours flourished in various regions of the country, according to the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.
In the five-day holiday, sales by major retail and catering enterprises nationwide increased by 6.8 percent compared with the same period of last year, and customers in key shopping districts in 36 of the 70 large and medium-sized cities nationwide increased by 15.1 percent, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce.
To attract tourists during the holiday, many cities vied with one another to promote local delicacies.
In the northeastern city of Qiqihar, a most favored food was barbecue. Families would drive to campgrounds to enjoy the sizzle of the grill.
"The barbecue is very good and the place is very nice," said a tourist.
In the eastern city of Xiamen, many tourists wandered the alleys and explored the street food and snacks around the neighborhood, getting out with their hands and stomach full.
"It is lively here. I've bought yam paste cake, which is famous here, and other snacks. I like the living atmosphere here," said Ms. Jiang, a tourist.
Meanwhile, local vendors all experienced busy days.
Hong Zimin, a vendor of hand-shredded chicken, said queues would extend from five p.m. to eight p.m.
"There are so many people here that dozens of us can hardly serve them," Hong said.
Similar situations occurred at a night market in Yinchuan, northwest China, where people were flocking to stalls selling local snacks.
"People from many regions have come here, and it gets crowded after seven p.m., and then it gets hectic," said Liu Bao, a vendor selling heated milk.
Tourists cared not only about the taste of food, but also about the vibe and style of dining. Food and beverage merchants managed to incorporate traditional or fashionable cultural elements into the products and dining environment, inviting tourists to stay, unwind and taste during the holiday.
Catering sees increase in holiday as food tour becomes trend
The bustling Xiushui Business Street (Silk Street) in Beijing is experiencing a significant surge in visits paid by international tourists, thanks to the country's implementation of visa-free policy.
The business street, known for its array of shops selling a wide range of souvenirs and gifts and a vibrant shopping atmosphere, is among the top destinations for visitors from abroad.
Since earlier this year, China has implemented a visa-free policy that exempts many European ordinary passport holders from the time-consuming and costly obligation, encouraging travelers from nearly a dozen European countries to explore this Asian country. It allows ordinary passport holders of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg, to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, transit, as well as visiting relatives and friends .
Against such a backdrop, the business street, with a spike in international tourist arrivals, has offered popular options with distinctive Beijing features to foreign visitors.
"From January to April this year, the combined number of overseas tourists we received was expected to increase by nearly 20 times from the previous year. We've selected a batch of souvenirs that can represent Beijing for our customers, so as to make each and every of them happy," said Dong Qing, an employee of the business street.
Ibeku hailing from Nigeria was on a business trip to Beijing. She came to the business street to tailor a suit of Nigerian traditional costume with Chinese silk.
"First of all, I love fashion. So if we have Chinese silk [and] Nigerian style [together], that's like a mix of cultures, and that's what we are all hoping to get this day," she said.
Taking into account the tight schedule of foreign customers, many merchants reduce the time it takes to craft bespoke garments from the traditional four to five days down to an impressive 18 hours.
Furthermore, they also provide global mailing services for international customers who express concern about limited luggage space or tight travel schedules.
According to data released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the capital city received 469,000 inbound tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year, up by 3.1 times year on year, and the foreign exchange income of tourism is 650 million U.S. dollars, a year-on-year growth of 225.8 percent.
Xiushui Business Street thrives with influx of foreign tourists under visa-free policy
