THEMED tourism has become more popular in Qingdao in recent years, such as “conference travel” and “wedding travel.” Since the end of August, the number of visitors coming for conferences has increased sharply. Sales revenue of Dongfang Hotel increased by 40 percent in July and August compared with the same period last year, said Wang Bing, sales director of the hotel. “Most of them are regular travelers coming to visit Qingdao. But the number of travelers coming for conferences has increased sharply since the end of August, particularly national meetings and regional meetings. Most of the rooms were booked out due to the meetings,” Wang said. September is a popular month for booking conferences in Qingdao because it is difficult to book rooms in July and August due to the large number of travelers, said a manager at a travel agency. Meanwhile, the number of travelers coming to take their wedding photos in Qingdao has also increased. Many couples in the province choose Qingdao as it has evocative European-style architecture, natural scenery and ocean views. According to statistics, more than 100 couples have traveled to Qingdao to take wedding photos in the past three months. Every year, more than 100,000 couples come to shoot their wedding photos in Qingdao. (Wang Yuanyuan, Fu Jun) | 