Visitors are seen in a scenic spot in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

Most tourists in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province opted for short-distance trips during the recent three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday which ended on June 5.

Most visitors seen in the scenic spots in the city during the holiday were locals, while a few were from surrounding cities including Hangzhou and Wuxi.

The tourism market showed signs of recovery during the holiday.

The Zhongnan Baicaoyuan Scenic Spot in Anji county, for example, received an average of 3,000 visitors every day, while the China Bamboo Expo Park, which is also located in Anji, welcomed an average of 1,500 visitors daily during the holiday.

Huzhou recently rolled out a string of measures to boost the cultural and tourism sectors which have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic.

One of these measures is the temporary refund of deposits for tourism service quality to local travel agencies. To date, more than 12 million yuan ($1.85 million) worth of deposits for tourism service quality have been refunded to 74 travel agencies in Huzhou.

The city has also issued coupons worth more than 135 million yuan to encourage spending in the cultural and tourism market. The coupons can be used in the city's hotels, homestays, A-level scenic spots and restaurants.