Huzhou in Zhejiang province saw a tourism boom during the New Year's Day holiday from Jan 1 to 3, boosting local holiday tourism consumption.

Fifty-six key commercial enterprises in the city recorded total sales revenue of 149 million yuan ($21.34 million) during the holiday, up 2.3 percent year-on-year. As of 2 pm on Jan 3, major scenic spots, hotels, rural homestays, and cultural venues across the city had received over 1.78 million visits, generating tourism revenue of more than 2.25 billion yuan.

The cultural and tourism sector introduced unique offerings, including winter-themed attractions, traditional cultural experiences, and trendy tourism products, further stimulating consumption.

A theme market attracts locals and tourists. [Photo/WeChat account: wenlv0572]

Ice-and-snow themed tourism emerged as a highlight, with Anji county's Yunshang Caoyuan (Cloud Meadow) scenic area and Changxing county's Taihu Lake Longemont Paradise Ice and Snow World ranking fourth and 10th, respectively, on Tongcheng Travel's ranking list of nationwide popular ski resorts. During the holiday, the city recorded 105,000 ice-and-snow tourism visits, generating 26.20 million yuan in revenue.

Nanxun Ancient Town received over 370,000 visits with activities like woodblock printing and paper-cutting, contributing 116 million yuan in tourism revenue. Taihu Lake Longemont Paradise hosted events like mass lantern releases and music shows, receiving 400,000 visits.

In the retail sector, traditional promotions combined with innovative tourism offerings boosted consumer activity. Four key pedestrian streets in the city saw a footfall of 258,000, with revenues reaching 9.5 million yuan, an 8.1 percent year-on-year increase.