Tourists boat on the West Lake in Zhejiang province's Hangzhou. [Photo by Long Wei/For China Daily]

The Zhejiang provincial department of culture and tourism sent out an official notice on resuming inter-province group tourism on July 24.

According to the notice, taking effect immediately, all Zhejiang-based travel agencies and online tourism companies are now allowed to resume inter-province ( including autonomous regions and municipalities) group travel services such as flight and hotel bookings. However, international tourism services are still not allowed.

The notice also stresses the importance of strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the province's tourism sector. The number of tourists at any given scenic area cannot exceed 50 percent of normal capacity.