Many significant tourism events took place in Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, Fujian province, in the past year. Pingtan Times and Pingtan tourism development bureau recently worked together to select the top 10 stories of 2015.

1. Pingtan International Tourist Island project starts

Authorities in Pingtan, Fujian province announced the launch of the Pingtan International Tourist Island project at an inauguration ceremony at the Pingtan-Taiwan Duty-free Commodity Market on Dec 3. And 115 participants of the 2015 Miss World Final became the witness of the event. The project was intended to boost Pingtan's tourism and increase the county's global exposure.

2. Cross-Straits Tourism and Creative Cultural Products Design Competition

Pingtan tourism development bureau launched the Cross-Straits Tourism and Creative Cultural Products Design Competition on May 1, 2015, with the concept of introducing local culture to more people. Entrants were encouraged to use tourist and cultural motifs with Pingtan features in their designs.

3. Pingtan gets approval to build provincial geopark and adds two 3A national scenic spots

Pingtan received approval from the Provincial Department of Land and Resources to set up a provincial geopark on Dec 25, 2015. The decision was made on the basis of the county's beautiful geological landscape with mountains and sea and good preservation of geological relics.

On Dec 30, its Shipaiyang scenic resort and Pingtan-Taiwan Duty-free Commodity Market were approved as 3A national tourist sites

Local authorities claimed they plan to apply for a national geopark in 2017 and a greater number of higher-ranking national scenic spots.

4. Pingtan sets up tourism association

The Pingtan Tourism Association was officially established on June 30, 2015. The association will act as a bridge between enterprises and government, supervise the construction of tourism projects, ensure strict standards in the industry and improve the overall tourist service. It is said the establishment of the association will help the county become an international destination.

5. Popular reality show shoots in Pingtan

A crew from Anhui Television came to Pingtan on Dec 1, to shoot Hello Rookie, a popular reality show. They filmed the county's key scenic spots, tourism planning, cross-Strait travel products and a ferry shuttling between Pingtan and Taiwan in the show, which helped increase the area's national exposure and attract more visitors.

6. Pingtan-Taiwan delicacies and tourism promotion campaign

On July 5, 2015, a Pingtan-Taiwan delicacies and tourism promotion campaign kicked off at the Pingtan-Taiwan Duty-free Commodity Market, with the help of the tourism development bureau and a local tourism company. The event helped Pingtan develop its own delicacy and souvenir brands.

7. First joint-venture travel agency opens in Pingtan

The Fujian Tianhai International Travel Agency in Pingtan, Fujian province became the first travel agency in the county partly funded by an overseas investor. The company, a joint venture by the Fujian Liang'an International Travel Agency and the Taiwan Tianhai Travel Agency, obtained its business license on June 9. It aimed to introduce Taiwan's advanced management modes and service, and bring in Taiwan's tour guides and other staff to help promote Pingtan.

8. Pingtan becomes an exam site of the National Examination for Tour Guides

People in Pingtan who want to get the Certificate of Tour Guide could take the National Examination for Tour Guides in the county as of 2015. A total of 119 candidates participated in an exam on Nov 15, 2015, in Pingtan.

9. Pingtan Tourism Investment Fair

A tourism investment fair was held at the Haitan Ancient City in Pingtan in August, with fruitful results. Pingtan won a large number of tourism projects, worth nearly 38 billion yuan ($5.8 billion). The Binhai International Culture Tourism Town project at Liushui town by Pan-China Group was one of the highlights. The project was intended to turn Liushui town into an international resort with beautiful landscapes and modern entertainment facilities.

10. Pingtan announces nine measures to boost tourism

Pingtan authorities rolled out nine measures to accelerate local tourism development. The measures covered tourist sites planning, traffic infrastructure improvement, upgrading scenic spots, rural tourism development, and tourism professional training. Authorities also mentioned that they planned to grant a tourism fund of 100 million yuan ($15.5 million) per year, adding more if needed.