Despite the global economic downturn, tourism is still up in Tianjin this year.

In the first half of this year, 705,000 people visited Tianjin from overseas, a 13.9% increase over the same period last year. The city’s tourism revenue came to 593 million dollars, 15.4% higher than the same period last year.

40 million Chinese tourists visited Tianjin, an increase of 14.2% year on year. Domestic tourism revenue was 47.5 billion yuan in the first half of this year, up 17.2% compared with the same period last year.

The increases come as the Tianjin government has focused heavily on promoting tourism by improving the city’s basic infrastructure and renovating major tourist attractions.

Attractions for visitors include the “Eye of Tianjin”, an enormous Ferris Wheel with spectacular views of the city, and the recently renovated Shi Family Residence, which was originally built in 1875. Pathways along the city’s Haihe River have also been rebuilt to better serve visitors to the city.

By Xie Fang