Tourists visit the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, December 31, 2023. (CFP Photo)

Cultural and tourism spending reached nearly 6 billion yuan in 2023 in Jiangsu during its signature promotion campaign, according to the figures released by the province’s Department of Culture and Tourism on January 4.

Held from March to December, the campaign featured 16 major activities and more than 900 supporting measures, facilitated through coordination among cities, government departments, enterprises, and combined online and onsite efforts.

The promotional activities often centered around special occasions and festivals to simulate consumer spending. For example, on China Tourism Day, May 19, popular travel routes are mostly highlighted in Jiangsu.

The province also saw a boom in its night-time economy. During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, nightlife hubs at and above the provincial level attracted over 10.51 million visitors with total revenue of 5.557 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 208.19% and 214.72%, respectively.

The cooperation between government departments, banks and enterprises also contributed to the enhanced travel experience. The province also collaborated with online platforms, such as Ctrip and Meituan, to widen the reach of its cultural and tourism consumption promotion activities.

Approximately 25,000 businesses participated in a tourism-promotion program sponsored by the Jiangsu branch of China UnionPay. Additionally, ten financial institutions supported the pilot use of digital yuan, and Jiangsu also recognized 30 more destinations that integrated convenient payment solutions for culture and tourism consumption.