Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province opens its annual tourism industry development conference on July 16. [Photo/WeChat account: huzhoufabu]

Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province commenced its annual tourism industry development conference on July 16.

Chen Hao, Party chief of Huzhou, said at the opening ceremony that Huzhou has been leveraging its rich tourism resource to develop itself into a renowned resort in the Yangtze River Delta region.

The city has rolled out a string of measures to revive the cultural and tourism sectors, which have been severely affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, Chen added.

He also expressed hope that guests at the ceremony would introduce more tourists and projects to the city so as to bolster the development of the tourism sector.

The ceremony also witnessed the signing of procurement agreements between the Huzhou Tourism Association and travel agents from the Yangtze River Delta region.

Huzhou's tourism sector has been gaining traction quickly in recent years. 

The number of visitors it received in 2021 increased by 26 percent, while its tourism revenue surged by 31 percent, according to statistics released by online travel agency Ctrip.

Its popularity as a tourism site, which is measured by the number of searches for the city on the platform, also rose by 65 percent in the past year.

Chen Hao, Party chief of Huzhou, addresses the conference. [Photo/WeChat account: huzhoufabu]