China Tourism Academy reported that Qingdao had the highest score for tourist satisfaction in the country during the third quarter of the year.
Among 60 major tourism cities in China, Qingdao, the coastal city in East China's Shandong Province, garnered the most points, 81.19, on a scale of 0 to 100.
The evaluation was done via a survey among tourists as well as by taking into consideration factors such as feedback from the internet, the number of complaints from tourists and quality control.
The academy said that the cities that yielded the highest satisfaction have "abundant tourism resources, comprehensive functions and satisfying services." Items rated, meanwhile, included the services offered by travel agencies as well as in the tourist spots, public service and the environment of the tourist destinations.
The cities that made it to this quarter's top 10 are somewhat unsurprising, as they are also China's major tourist spots. The Chinese capital, Beijing, nonetheless came in at number nine with a score of 77.81.
Cities in Midwest China--namely, Hefei, Lijiang, Lhasa, Yinchuan and Lanzhou--took the last five spots in the ranking.
The past quarter was the first time Qingdao topped the survey by the China Tourism Academy. It ranked 14th and 10th during the first and second quarters of 2014.
Below are the top 10 cities and their scores:
1. Qingdao (81.19)
2. Hangzhou (79.39)
3. Suzhou (79.18)
4. Chongqing (79.14)
5. Ningbo (79.09)
6. Huangshan (78.88)
7. Chengdu (78.76)
8. Shanghai (78.10)
9. Beijing( 77.81)
10. Wuxi (77.77 )