Zhejiang province promotes itself in London as tourism hotspot

As part of China's efforts to promote tourism at the World Travel Market trade show in London this week, the East China coastal province of Zhejiang launched a promotional event on Wednesday aimed at enticing Western tourists.

Xu Peng, deputy director general of Zhejiang's tourism bureau, said Hangzhou, the province's capital city and host of last year's G20 summit, which was once described by Italian traveler Marco Polo as the finest and most splendid city in the world, will try to put itself on the tourism map.

Statistics showed that last year's G20 summit boosted the number of foreign tourists visiting the city.

"We are keen to capitalize on the momentum to lure more foreign visitors to the area, as I believe we have abundant resources to offer which is able to meet the needs of various travelers," said Xu.

Zhejiang, which claims to be the place that gave the world tea, silk, and porcelain, has three world heritage sites: Hangzhou West Lake Cultural Landscape, Mount Jianglang in Quzhou, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

In 2016, the province received more than 11.2 million visitors.

Speaking at the World Travel Market, Zhang Qing, assistant director of the China National Tourism Administration in London, said: "Tourism is not just a sunrise industry, but more importantly, the strategic industry in China. The Chinese government at all levels has placed an increasing emphasis on building a solid goal in the policy framework, and for tourism industry development."

Zhang said the province's picturesque landscape has always inspired the imagination of Chinese people.

Based on the results of a tourist market survey conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey, Zhang said Zhejiang, and especially the West Lake in Hangzhou, will become must-see spots for British travelers.

Noting the strong influence of new media on today's travelers, Xu said the provincial tourism bureau will prioritize digital marketing when trying to attract more foreign tourists.

Julian Hunter, a surveyor from Yorkshire in the North of England, said he spent a week in China and the experience he had in Hangzhou was undoubtedly the highlight.

"I enjoyed walking by the West Lake, which is so tranquil and stunning. The whole setting is just like a Chinese poem, and I completely agreed with what my tour guide said 'West Lake is a fair lady'."

Zhang Yangfei contributed to the story