Fifty-two scenic spots will introduce a half-price ticket policy during the Shanghai Tourism Festival from Saturday until Oct 6.

Tourists can avail of the offer when visiting various attractions, including the landmark Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, as well as enjoy a cruise tour on the Huangpu River along the Bund from Saturday to Wednesday.

The parade for the festival's opening ceremony will be on Saturday evening with performances from 32 groups, 26 of them from overseas, Cheng Hongmei, deputy director of Shanghai Tourism Administration, told a news briefing on Wednesday.

The annual festival, which attracts more than 8 million visitors, has been held since 1990.