This approach helped the theme park's ticket sales grow significantly for the 2021 event compared with the same period of the previous year, Wang says.

Another major domestic theme park operator Overseas Chinese Town has also offered water spa, hot spring and package hotel deals at its Xiangyang facility in Hubei province, which has drawn in many local families.

To encourage more visits to its facility in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, OCT has opened an academy of classic learning that integrates Asian garden architecture, tea tasting and folk music elements.

Lighting and drone shows have been put in place at OCT's Happy Valley in Beijing to boost night visits from residents in the capital.

These things helped OCT receive 3.6 million visitors during the Spring Festival holiday, a majority of which were locals.

The number of travelers and the revenue at its major sites both hit a single-day record high on Feb 3, the company reports.

To date, many scenic spots have sought cooperation with channels that can offer visitors different methods of experiencing the locale, such as ride-hailing and film ticket booking platforms.

Homogeneity among a considerable number of scenic spots has created a need for marketing, says Huo Jianjun, secretary-general of the China Tourist Attractions Association.

It has prompted travel players to explore new ways of building connections with the consumers.

At the moment, about 3.5 million businesses focus on short tours and related services, according to corporate information provider Tianyancha.

Experts say the competition will be fierce this year.

The key is to continuously optimize experiences for locals and stimulate their desire for travel, so the industry can maintain a steady path to recovery, Zou says.

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn