Zhangjiakou to keep forging tourism belt after Games

Zhangjiakou of North China's Hebei province, as the co-host city of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, will keep forging the Beijing-Zhangjiakou culture and sports tourism belt, officials said at a news release on Thursday.

The city will prioritize the development of culture and sports tourism after the Games by further upgrading the ski resorts in Chongli district, frequently holding ice and snow sports events and expositions as well as constructing parks for mountaineering, mountain cycling and other outdoor sports, said Zhen Guifeng, deputy director of Zhangjiakou's sport bureau.

"We will build up more sports and culture tourism demonstration bases that provide professional sports training, serve as competition venues and allow visitors to enjoy recreational sports and experience local cultures," Zhen said, adding that the sports and culture tourism helps to drive rural vitalization and promote coordinated regional development.

Duan Junhui, deputy director of Zhangjiakou's municipal bureau of tourism, culture, radio, television and sports, said that they are trying to turn the city into a tourism destination that attracts visitors all year round. In doing so, travel routes that allow tourists to go sight-seeing on the grasslands during summer or encourage visitors to go winter fishing and participate in ice and snow sports during winter have been released.