Chizhou City has launched an all-for-one tourism formats by accelerating supply-side structural reforms from an all-for-one tourism perspective, establishing an integrated development model that combines cultural tourism with industrial innovation. 

According to statistics from the Chizhou Cultural and Tourism Department, from January to July this year, the city received 47 million domestic visitors, generating domestic tourism revenue of 55 billion yuan, representing year-on-year growth of 13% and 12.96%, respectively. Among these, overnight visitors reached 3.558 million, an increase of 18.9% compared to the same period last year. Jiuhua Mountain Scenic Area remained the most visited A-grade tourist attraction in the province.

Amidst this impressive cultural and tourism boom, Qingyang County stands out with particularly notable performance. By segmenting the cultural tourism consumer market, the county has keenly recognized the potential of the pet economy to drive tourism development, integrating the "pet-friendly" concept into the cultural tourism industry and developing a distinctive path for growth.

In recent years, Qingyang has systematically sorted, deeply explored, and innovatively utilized its cultural and tourism resources. The Song Dynasty Diting Pagoda, located in the Jiuzi Rock Scenic Area, is a famous historical site of Jiuhua Mountain. Local cultural and tourism authorities have combined it with cute pet culture to create the "Diting" IP image. In April this year, the first "Diting Jiuhua · Qingyang Pet-Friendly Carnival" was grandly held, attracting enthusiastic participation from pet families across 13 provinces and cities nationwide, with online topic exposure exceeding 200 million views. The event not only boosted Qingyang's "pet-friendly" brand but also sparked a series of industrial innovations.

Integrating the "pet-friendly" concept into the cultural and tourism industry has also spurred the emergence and growth of the pet economy. In the Mengchong (Cute Pet) Industrial Park in Yangtian Town, adjacent to Zhubei Town, four standardized factory buildings have risen from the ground. "Workshop No. 1 will begin operations in October this year, specializing in deep processing of pet food," said Zhang Liulin, deputy town chief of Yangtian Town, pointing to the planning map. The industrial park, with an investment of 98 million yuan and covering 73 mu, has already attracted two companies, including Chizhou Baoyi Shiguang E-Commerce Co., Ltd.

"Last year, our online sales reached 20 million yuan, but the OEM model made it difficult to guarantee quality. The government helped facilitate the extension of our industrial chain, and with the new production line operational, our annual output value is expected to exceed 50 million yuan. Next, we plan to develop 'Jiuhua Huangjing Dog Food' to further diversify our product range," Zhang Ran, head of Baoyi Shiguang E-Commerce Co., Ltd., told reporters.

Since the beginning of this year, Qingyang County has been actively promoting the construction, planning, and investment attraction for pet-related industries. Multiple delegations have been sent to Shanghai, Zhejiang, and other regions to engage with pet industry associations, chain stores, and other stakeholders, proactively seeking investment opportunities. A 30-million-yuan project, "Sanshan Pet-Friendly Homestay," has been launched, featuring dedicated pet guest rooms, sports fields, swimming pools, and other facilities. Zhubei Town has also partnered with a Shanghai-based operations team to develop a pet-themed village, integrating amenities such as a pet park, immersive theater experiences, and cultural and creative ventures centered around pet consumption.

Benchmarking against Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, Qingyang County is currently drafting a local standard for pet-friendly services. An official from the county's cultural and tourism bureau stated that Qingyang will continue to advance in the pet economy sector, consistently improve service quality, and build a more influential pet-friendly tourism destination.

Since the beginning of this year, Chizhou City has been pressing ahead on the new track of diversified development in the cultural and tourism industry by refining its market segments. The city has focused on creating new scenarios and formats for the "first-release economy," launching the country's first digital light-shadow cave, "Journey to the Illusory Realm," at the Dawangdong Scenic Area. It has also cultivated 54 new scenarios and formats, including low-altitude sightseeing at Jiuhua Mountain and the Instant Magic Cube. The first cultural-tourism mini-drama, "The Huizhou Mountain Warriors," sparked 800 million topic engagements. Study tourism visits have increased by over 60%, with multiple sectors flourishing together.

Source: Anhui Daily