QINGDAO will go all out to develop leisure tourism in an effort to become an international coastal resort.

    The city will develop the leisure tourism industry in the downtown area, mountains near suburbs and the countryside, according to the city tourism bureau.

    Downtown Qingdao has a modern commercial center, cultural center, sanitariums and sailing centers, which can be transformed into a resort with a diversity of functions. The host of the regatta for the 2008 Olympics, the city also plans to develop leisure water sports such as sailboarding, surfing and water skiing.

    The city also has rich mountain and island resources in the suburbs, which will be explored and developed into resorts.

    Tourism featuring hiking and hot springs will be developed in the mountain areas while islands can be developed for fishing for tourists.

    Leisure tourism will also be developed in the countryside, involving tourists in picking fruit and vegetables and planting and harvesting crops.

    Leisure tourism has been well developed in Germany, Austria, Britain and Japan.

    Tourists can cook with crops they harvest on farms in rural Japan. (Li Hao, Fu Jun)