Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

HARD-HIT cultural, tourism and sports enterprises in Shenzhen are on track for steady revival, as the city government and local businesses have made concerted efforts to shake off the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

“We will continue to launch a series of cultural activities to further stimulate market recovery and help cultural enterprises tide over difficulties,” said Liu Wenbin, deputy head of the city’s publicity department, at a news conference organized by the Shenzhen Municipal Government Information Office yesterday.

According to Liu, Shenzhen has rolled out 22 measures, including fiscal subsidies, rent deductions, loan support and tax cuts, to help local cultural enterprises pull through the COVID-19 epidemic.

The measures have attracted wide attention and positive responses from all walks of life after introduction, and strongly supported the resuming of work for cultural firms, Liu said.

As the fourth pillar industry of Shenzhen, the cultural industry has been developing rapidly, employing more than a million people.

“To support cultural firms to resume work is to secure employment and guarantee the provision of cultural products and services to the public,” Liu said.

The city’s culture, radio, television, tourism and sports bureau has also revised relevant rules for the subsidy application for high-end sports events, high-level professional sports clubs, and sports enterprises, with subsidies exceeding 100 million yuan (US$14 million).

According to a bureau official, Zhang Jie, the bureau will continue to increase efforts to promote cultural tourism and sports consumption, integrate online resources, and plan a series of consumer festivals and sightseeing activities.

Wang Gang, general manager of the tourism management center of OCT Group, said that the group has resumed work in a comprehensive way starting Feb. 22. Across the country, more than 150 cultural and tourism companies under the group have gradually reopen with epidemic prevention and control measures in place.

“As of last week, the opening rate of OCT’s tourist attractions and hotels had exceeded 95 percent,” said Wang.

He added that the group has decided to continue to host the OCT cultural and tourism festival this year, which will be the third time since the festival was first launched in 2018.

This year’s festival is scheduled to be held between June and October. Nearly 400 activities and over 500 products will be launched, covering eight regions and more than 60 cities across the country.