People walk on a street at Aocheng Night Fair in Nankai District of Tianjin, north China, May 16, 2020. Many merchants at the night fair gradually extend their operating hours and enrich their products, helping Tianjin's night economy recover further.[Photo/Xinhua]

Catering companies and other service sector enterprises in Tianjin are gradually resuming business, with coupons issued by local governments helping to boost consumer spending after the devastation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Since last month, governments of districts in Tianjin including Dongli, Heping, Hexi, Baodi, Jinnan and Wuqing have distributed coupons worth a total of 60 million yuan($8.45 million) via third-party platforms to stimulate consumption and accelerate the recovery of the service industry. Users can acquire these coupons via major apps such as Wechat and Alipay.

Driven by the coupons, the recovery rate is seen to be gradually increasing among restaurants, department stores, and other businesses that had closed their doors during the epidemic.

"Thanks to measures such as offering coupons and giving out small gifts, drinks and fruit free of charge, our business is getting better recently," said Hu Peifeng, manager of Tianjin's Lishen Restaurant.

As the epidemic is curbed in the nation, foodies are gingerly returning to restaurants to sate their appetites after being cooped up at home for months.

People walk on a street at Aocheng Night Fair in Nankai District of Tianjin, north China, May 16, 2020. Many merchants at the night fair gradually extend their operating hours and enrich their products, helping Tianjin's night economy recover further.[Photo/Xinhua]

"A total of 35 tables had been booked on Sunday. Besides online orders, our turnover is expected to reach about 720,000 yuan in May," said Shi Min, general manager of Xinya Restaurant.

Cong Yi, a professor at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, explained that issuing coupons is a means for the government to spur consumption and increase demand through subsidies.

Many merchants at the night fair are gradually extending their operating hours and enriching their products, helping Tianjin's nighttime economy recover further.

Zhang Baoyi, director of the Institute of Sociology of the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the government’s issuance of coupons is a measure that benefits people and stimulates consumption during this special period; it’s short term, low cost and delivers quick results.