Broke Chinese Gen Zs Turn Factory Town into Top Tourist Spot

(Bloomberg) — Zibo, in eastern Shandong province, looks just like any other industrial town in China, home to petrochemicals, textiles and porcelain factories.

Its biggest claim to fame is a visit by then FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2004, who proclaimed the city the birthplace of soccer based on tenuous links to an ancient ball game.

The city of 4.7 million is now one of the hottest tourism destinations in China, with the highest hotel room occupancy rates in the entire nation for the five-day Labor Day vacation starting April 29, according to data from leisure booking app Meituan.