AUTHORITIES in Shandong have called on businesses to ensure the full implementation of paid annual leave among staff in a bid to boost consumer spending in the eastern province. Cao Heping, a professor at Peking University’s School of Economics, said that the full implementation of paid vacation can help promote consumption in various sectors, such as tourism. It can encourage people to travel, which can supplement the long traditional holidays in a positive way, Cao told China News. The Shandong government’s call was accompanied by those for better tourism-related services, such as more shuttle buses provided to and from scenic areas, the staging of more cultural performances and exhibitions of handmade products. Tour operators, for example, were encouraged to implement a multi-use ticket system at scenic areas that would allow visitors to use their tickets on multiple days. Shandong cities such as Zibo have sought to court fame online in order to drum up consumption and help their tourism industry’s recovery after the pandemic. Zibo has had several videos about its unique barbecue restaurants go viral online, and the hit song “Luocha Haishi” (“A Market in a Faraway Land”) by singer-songwriter Daolang has led to a surge in tourists. (China Daily) | 