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Tourists tour the ancient Wuzhen town by boat. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

The approach taken by Tongxiang, a county-level city in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, to create jobs for local residents will be promoted nationwide, according to a notice recently released by National Development and Reform Commission.

Tongxiang has in recent years created more opportunities for local farmers to find jobs in their hometown by developing the ancient Wuzhen town.

Wuzhen receives more than 10 million tourists and generates 2 billion yuan ($314 million) in tourism revenue every year. It has also created jobs for more than 50,000 local farmers.

For instance, the Wuzhen scenic area hires local fishermen and farmers to work as boatmen and the agricultural workers in Wucun village.

The Wuzhen scenic area has also taken measures, which can also be replicated by other scenic areas, to improve its appearance and profile.

The area has invested nearly 8 billion yuan in infrastructure construction, including parking lots, tourists centers, and 5G signal coverage, and brought in renowned hotels such as Alila and Hilton.

Wuzhen has been hosting an international theater festival every year since 2013 to expand its influence from the tourism market to cultural and entertainment markets.

The local government has also rolled favorable policies to support the development of the tourism industry in Wuzhen.

A special fund has been established to offer tourism projects worth more than 10 million yuan a subsidy equivalent to 4 percent of their investment. Well-performing hotels and homestays in Wuzhen will also receive rewards.