Leaders of 18 overseas performance groups were appointed as inbound observers by the Shanghai Tourism Festival organizing committee on Sunday, with the hope of promoting the beauty and cultural wonder of Shanghai around the world.
At the invitation of the committee, these performance groups from 15 countries and regions, including Australia, Germany, Croatia and Italy, took part in a grand parade of the Shanghai Tourism Festival on Saturday night.
"We love to come to Shanghai, really enjoy being here. Yesterday's grand parade was awesome. The atmosphere was great. Different groups from various countries gathered here. We really like Shanghai a lot," said Jana Zschunke, board member of the orchestra group Blasorchester Leipzig.
Taking advantage of their visit to explore Chinese culture, over 1,000 international performers have been sightseeing around Shanghai from Wednesday.
"We eat Chinese food every day. I have to admit that it is quite delicious. We really like eating it. We may be a few pounds heavier when we return from China. I'm so glad that we have the chance to come to Shanghai, to China. For most of the girls, it is their first time here. I hope it would not be the last. We want to come back again, whether it is to Shanghai or other places in China," said Elizabeta Mikelj, leader of Mazoretkinje otoka Krka, a performance troupe dedicated to the art of majorette baton twirling.
Overseas performers become 'inbound observers' in Shanghai
As much as 37 percent of Americans saw their debt increase during this year's holiday shopping season, with average debt rising to 1,223 U.S. dollars from 1,181 dollars last year, according to the latest holiday debt survey of LendingTree, the nation's online loan marketplace.
The survey, conducted earlier this month among more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, found that rising tariffs and higher prices have put additional pressure on household budgets.
In a statement, LendingTree's chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said the strain becomes more pronounced during the holiday season, as many consumers are reluctant to change long-standing shopping traditions, even as costs rise, leading to higher debt levels.
According to the survey, 63 percent of borrowers expect it will take three months or longer to repay their holiday-related debt, while about 41 percent said they are still paying off debt from last year. Schulz warned that if borrowers need six months to a year or more to repay their balances, the situation becomes more serious due to high credit card interest rates.
Data from Bankrate show that the average U.S. credit card interest rate currently exceeds 20 percent.
Meanwhile, U.S. consumers have grown increasingly pessimistic about their financial situation. Data released on Tuesday by The Conference Board showed that the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index fell for the fifth consecutive month in December, dropping to 89.1, the lowest level since April, amid deepening anxiety over jobs and income.
Over one-third of Americans rack up holiday debt: survey
